The hardest battle of all
by Tardito
Summary: It should have been a happy ending. But the return of Queen Shalamorn doesn't hold its promise of of a new beginning. Jason and Neri are soon faced with new challenges arising from the scars, Malakat left behind on both planets. The approach to establish a peaceful dialogue soon appears as a task almost too overwhelming to be accomplished.
1. Chapter 1

The night was cloudless, the sea calm and the wind only a whisper. The sand was still warm under his bare feet. The tranquillity was more than just a welcome change to the last couple of days.

Meetings with the highest authorities had been arranged, other meetings had been held on ORCA and some more of the exclusive ones in the pyramid. To organise the security and to maintain the highest level of secrecy had been the most challenging task, especially the last part. Every person who had been involved in the events, - the technical ORCA crew which had to remain on board to keep it running, leading officers, PRAXIS staff and the kids, - all had been briefed. Communication to the outside world was restricted and observed to ensure no information got out.

The ocean people barely came on board. The mutual distrust was almost tangible, so the contact had been been reduced to the necessary minimum. Neri`s island was officially neutral ground, but she was barely home. Too often her presence had been needed in ORCA or the pyramid. Never before her duties as a princess had demanded so much of her.

Jason watched this development with growing concern. Neri seemed tired and pale. She always had had the weight of the world on her shoulders, but right now it affected her more than usually. Never before she had to deal with so many people at once. Jason tried to shield her as much as he could, but some meetings in the pyramid were restricted even to him. Shalamorn had welcomed him and supported his wish to stay at Neri's side. She had told him once, he had owned the right to be attendant when he put her mission over his own life. But she also had to respect her people's wishes and her position had been weakened as well. Malakat had been successful in undermining her authority. Doubt and mistrust was strong now even in their midst.

Jason sometimes felt terribly helpless and angry. Sort of betrayed.

It should have been a happy ending. The day at the beach had been so peaceful. Shalamorn spoke of new beginnings and that Neri would stay on earth for a while.

The kiss they shared in that sweet moment - a promise that was already broken. After all they've been through, after setting everything into the right place again, they still couldn't just ride into the sunset. Somehow it was just the beginning of a new battle.

The warm hand which slipped into his, interrupted his thoughts. Jason shook off his self-pity and smiled back. This was the first moment they had for themselves since that day. Jason wasn't going to ruin it by being childish and selfish.

They bathed their feet for a while, took a few steps in and out of the water. Enjoyed the feeling of sinking into the sand and the gentle suction when the wave draw back into the sea.

Later, they sat on the ground, a few feet away from the water, and watched the stars above. Jason laid down on his back and rested his head on his hands. Neri sat cross-legged, just a few inches away. Silence had never been uncomfortable between them. So they just enjoyed each other's company, lost in their own thoughts.

Neri's would be of hope, of her people, of her mission. Jason caught himself thinking about how it would feel like, if he stretched out his arm and caressed her back. Would she like it, if he stroke her hair back? Would she mind, if he caressed the delicate skin of her neck?

He did none of that, just didn't dare to. They physical part in their relationship had always been shy and mostly restricted to a friendly hug. In the last couple of month, they started holding hands. There was no denying they touched more often these days, but still ... Jason just didn't dare to. Somehow he was afraid to scare her away.

"Where exactly is the Ocean Planet? Can you tell?"

Neri pointed North East into the sky. "Mera say, it is in this direction. You need to sleep for five earth days in small craft."

"Yeah, I guess, you can't store enough water to do such a trip awake."

Neri smiled at him. "Yes. Mera say, it is cold sleep."

"The Earth People experiment with cryosleep as well, but they haven't been successful yet. I always loved Science Fiction, but I'd never thought, it would become reality like this."

Neri looked confused. "Science Fic-tion?"

Jason sat up and leaned on his left hand, slightly turning towards her. "Science Fiction. It tells fictional stories, based on science. Most of them are set in the future."

"A happy future?"

Jason snorted. "Not exactly. Well, maybe a few of them," he said and laid down into the sand again, arms entangled behind his head. "But the greater part is set in dark scenarios. On a broken, destroyed planet or a society which has become a sick and absurd reflection of the past or present society." He grimaced. "No, no happy future. More like a huge mess."

"Like ours." She gave him another confused look. "But you like it?"

Jason shrugged. "Well, the setting is dark but there's always a hero or a heroine who makes the world a better place."

Neri smiled brightly now at him. "Like you."

Jason laughed. "No, not me. More like you. You are the heroine. The one with the pure heart, who will never give in until she saved the whole galaxy. I'm just the sidekick - a helper, an assistant."

It should have sounded a little ironic, but suddenly the irony didn't seem appropriate any more.

Neri did not answer, just looked at him with shiny eyes. Then, to his pleasant surprise, she laid down and cuddled up against his side, her head on his shoulder. Carefully, he loosened his left hand and put his arm around her.

"I could never do it without you," Neri admitted quietly.

"Well, I'm an awesome sidekick," he answered in a mischief tone. She silently shook with laughter, cuddled up to him even closer and put a hand on his chest.

"I am glad you're here, Jason."

Fortunately, she couldn't see his goofy grin. "Me too."

They listened the sound of the waves crushing for a while. Well, at least Neri did, Jason assumed. He was too distracted by her touch. Consciously or not, he couldn't tell, but her fingers had started to draw little circles on his chest. His heart beat frantically and he caught himself holding his breath. He laid still and closed his eyes. Neri moved slightly. Disappointment rushed through him when she took her hand away, but the next second, he felt her fingertip on his lips.

He opened his eyes and met hers. Her gaze was questioning, almost if asking for permission. Jason waited and didn't dare to move.

Then, finally, she bent over to kiss him. Her lips stroke gently, - shy, - over his. Jason inhaled her scent of salt water, seaweed and something that was just _her_. He loosened his right arm from under his head to cup her face with his hand, and deepened the kiss. Instinctively, he stroke with the tip of his tongue over her lips. Neri opened her mouth and responded to the intimate touch. Jason caressed her tongue carefully with his own. All kinds of feelings rushed through him.

Relief. Excitement. Need. Love. Joy. Desire. Nervousness.

His interior was in turmoil and he took a deep breath to stay in control. This felt so right. Like something he had wanted, needed, for too long.

He had imagined how it would feel like. To feel her so close to him. It never took much to make him feel … too _comfortable_. Sharing a room with his brother didn't exactly make it easier to bring relief to this need.

But this was worse. Much worse and so much better at the same time.

The cold, unexpected shower saved him. A big wave had hit a rock near them and the water splashed over him. Jason sat up in shock and inhaled quickly.

Neri broke into laughter. A second later, he fell in.

"Yeah, very funny," he groaned grinningly.

Neri giggled even louder. "Oh Jason, you're all wet."

"I'm not gonna be the only one for long!"

He leaned forward to the incoming wave of the rising tide and splashed on her. Neri shrieked and got on her feet.

He knew by now of course, that it didn't bother her. She didn't feel the low temperature of the water like he did. But she loved this game nevertheless. And she loved it because he enjoyed it as well.

He chased her until both their feet were in the water, almost up to the knees. They kept splashing each other, chasing each other. She giggled when he lifted her from her feet and span her around. Out of breath, they finally calmed down, still laughing. Jason's hands rested on both sides of her waist, hers on his upper arms. Jason noticed suddenly, he had gained one or two inches in height. He was now a little taller than Neri, making them fit to each other physically even better.

"You're cold," Neri noticed. "You shake."

Jason nodded. "A little maybe."

Not a lie. Her touch warmed him more than he would ever admit.

"We should start fire."

Jason held her tight. "No, I have to go soon anyway. It's dawning already."

Neri followed his glance to the eastern horizon where the sky was lightening. Suddenly, she was all serious again. She smiled, but with a certain sadness.

"I'll come back as soon as possible," Jason promised.

Neri had finally looked better. Happier. The exhaustion had vanished for a moment, but now he could see the dark shadows under her eyes again.

He loosened his grip on her waist and cupped her face instead with his hands, softly stroking her cheeks. "You need a break, Neri. Not just for one night. But I also know, you can't get away from this situation right now. So will you at least promise me something?"

Neri nodded, waiting.

"When I tell you to pause, will you do that? No questions asked?"

A radiant smile brightened up her face. She stroked over her forehead with the back of first and middle finger – the old gesture of her people. "Promise," she said.

"Good. Thank you."

Jason leaned forward to place a soft kiss on her lips. When he drew back, she held him by his shoulders and pulled him closer to her again. Surprised, he found his lips opened by her this time. With unexpected boldness, she entered his mouth and started playing with his tongue. Jason suppressed a mourn and put carefully some distance between their waists, so she wouldn't notice, how … _embarrassing_ this was getting for him.

Boy, he definitely had to work on his self-control! He almost wished for another wave.

In the last six years, he had been far too busy to remember, he was a teenager with raging hormones. With his Dad gone, he had always felt protective about his mum and responsible for Brett. He had to take care of thing as he had been the oldest man in the family then.

Well, sort of.

Neri and her missions also had always been more important than him or his feelings towards her. So he hid them, a long time even from himself. All of the sudden, they seemed determined to burst out of him, to take control. Demanded to be heard ... and _seen_.

Bad timing.

Jason retreated, took a deep breath and added another sweet, final kiss before breaking the embrace.

"Gotta go," he said and grimaced. Neri nodded.

Hand in hand, they walked to his boat in silence. He loosened the rope and threw it into the boat. The dawn lightened up the sky with gold and blue.

Jason turned around to Neri and found her lost in thought, her forefinger stroking over her bottom lip, touching the tip of her tongue with a wondering expression.

He watched her with fascination, but also with a certain unease. She was even newer to this than he was. Not, that he had kissed a lot. After meeting her, there had been no room for anyone else.

When she had kissed him self-paced, he had presumed that she like it. But now it seemed, she was still figuring it out.

She looked up and he felt caught. She gave him a smile, forefinger still resting on her lips.

"I like this kissing," she told him. Relief washed through him and he mirrored her smile.

"Then, one more time? For saying good-bye?" Jason asked and his heart jumped with joy, when she broke into an even brighter smile.


	2. Chapter 2

"Verification, please?"

Jason sighed and took out his badge. Four security stations, he had to pass now before entering the quarters, he shared with his Mum, Brett and, nowadays, his Dad. He hadn't figured out yet if he liked the new tension between his parents. His Dad had hurt her badly. But she was a grown-up and he had more on his plate right now.

"Had a good night with Neri?" Brett smirked when Jason entered their bedroom. Jason ignored his teasing tone and took off his shirt. "I'm still worried about her. This planned trip to Vancouver to meet the president ..."

Brett's expression turned dark. "Yeah, it goes on and on. But at least, you're allowed to go, too."

Jason took some new ORCA clothing out of the drawer. "Shalamorn's decision. You know that." Brett climbed out of the covers and swung his feet out of bed. "This is so not fair!", he complained. "I was the one who talked to the president about Neri. I was the one who made her postpone the rocket launch."

Jason halted. He already heard this before. "Brett," he tried again with his most patient tone, "nobody forgot your part in this. But we have to keep this group as small as possible. And I will keep you informed."

Brett snorted and shook his head. "This is not just about me. The more I think about all this, the more I can't stop thinking about Mera."

Jason frowned. "She will be safe and sound in the pyramid."

Brett shook his head. "This is not about safety …" He paused and seemed clearly uncomfortable all the sudden.

Jason folded his arms in front of his chest and suppressed a grin. "So, it's about you and Mera? I already thought ..."

"No!", Brett cut in. "Mera and me, we like each other as friends. But we're not in love like you and Neri."

"What is it then? Spit it out already!"

Brett jumped off the bed. "You wouldn't like what I have to say."

Jason started to feel annoyed. "Then why raise the subject?" He turned around and grabbed some underwear. "Brett, I was up all night. I'm tired, I need a shower and I have to be on the bridge in six hours," he snapped. "Say, what you have to say, so I can finally take a short nap!"

Now it was Brett, who folded his arms. Yet, he hesitated.

Irritated, Jason turned to leave the room.

"Mera should be the crown princess, not Neri."

Jason turned around again to face his younger brother. Brett's expression showed nervousness, but also a certain self-esteem. He must have thought about this for a while.

"What makes you think that?" Jason asked.

"Well, Mera lived up there," Brett explained. "She learned their language and culture. Neri understands, but Mera speaks fluently. The Ocean People know and respect her, while Neri never even set foot on the Ocean Planet." Encouraged by Jason's silence, Brett took a breath and a step forward. "Neri is the Chosen One because of some old, dusty rules, made up hundreds of years ago. Just because, she is the first born, she gets all the attention. Mera has the same gifts and yet she is overseen."

"Did Mera complain?"

Brett quickly shook his head. "No, she would never. She loves Neri and is much too selfless for such thoughts. Believe me," he assured Jason, "I love Neri. She will be a fantastic ambassador. But I think, it should be Mera to rule the Ocean Planet."

Jason nodded. "Okay. I get it, Brett."

"But?"

"Both Neri and Mera seem to be fine with those old, dusty rules. Have to told Mera? Did you ask her about her feelings? Or Shalamorn?"

"No," Brett confessed uneasily. "I had hoped, you would support me in this. She barely listens to me. It's you, she is all fuzzy about."

"Why should I? Neri is nothing but kindness and love. Her leadership will be just and sincere."

"And Mera's won't? She is the same way!" Brett now seemed just as annoyed as Jason.

"I didn't say that! Calm down, will you?" Jason shot back and for a moment they faced each other in silence.

"I don't want to fight," Brett said finally. "I just think, Mera is just as much entitled to the throne as Neri. And Jason," he searched for eye contact, "if Neri would just keep being the ambassador, maybe she'd never have to leave. She could stay here forever. With you."

Jason leant against the drawer. Of course, he had always known, Neri would have to leave one day and it threw a shadow on them every day. They ignored it as much as they could.

"I'd thought," he said slowly, "when it's time, I would maybe go with her."

"What if you're not allowed to? What, if Neri is somehow promised to someone … suitable? Did you ask Shalamorn about this?"

The mean blade of doubt cut through his interior and his heart skipped a beat. "No, but I never gave this a thought, either."

"Isn't a monarch always supposed to give birth to children?" Brett continued and Jason quickly raised his hands.

"Yes, yes. I get it. Thank you."

"And?" Brett wanted to know. "Will you help me?"

Jason hesitated. "Neri is dedicated to her mission and to her people. I'd have to talk to her first."

Brett nodded, but Jason shook his head. The triumphant smile vanished from Brett's features.

"Brett, I'm sorry. I would feel like betraying her for my own selfish reasons," Jason explained. "I can't be selfish when it comes to Neri."

"Then talk to her," Brett begged. "At least, just think about it. You guys seemed to become serious these days. Even Shalamorn acknowledged it, otherwise, she would have never agreed to take you with them to Vancouver. Maybe, staying here on Earth is what Neri wants, too."

Jason sighed. He had to admit, Brett had a point. He had remembered him of the hopelessness of his relationship and brought up a possible solution at the same time. Brett was clever, had always been. This little spark, giving away a chance he might be able to grow old with the woman he loved ... It would be hard to extinguish.

"Fine," he said slowly. "I'll think about it. Maybe, after we settled some things, we can start figuring this stuff out."

Brett didn't look very happy, but at least satisfied. "Yes, of course. First things, first." Then he grinned. "Good talk, bro!"

Jason rolled his eyes and finally went into the shower.


	3. Chapter 3

"You're late, Officer Bates!"

"Yes, Sir. I'm sorry! Won't happen again." Jason took his place at the radar panel.

Vice Commander Danton snorted doubtfully. "We'll see to that."

Jason started working on his software project while keeping an eye on the radar screen. He had been advised to programme two different packs of software. The first one was supposed to enable the radar to distinguish between different objects surrounding ORCA, like vehicles, bigger sea mammals and especially Ocean People. The second pack was sort of an overlayer, which disguised the signal of the Ocean People.

The second one was easy, but setting the attributes the radar should work with, was challenging. Jason really wished for Vanessa to be here. She had been excellent in five different programming languages and had also never been out of ideas, how to solve a query problem. But contact was impossible by now, even though he had already tried three times. Vanessa was an insider after all, but a "no" from the highest authorities, was a no. Jason hoped to face those highest authorities in Vancouver.

"You forgot to close the bracket in the 19th line," his mother said quietly next to him. Jason smiled. "Thank you, Commander."

"I'm sorry, Jason", Diane added. "I tried to get you off duty today, but ..."

Jason shrugged. "It's fine, Mum. I have to get this done anyway."

"How is she? I haven't seen her for a week."

"She misses you and it's all a bit much right now, but you know her: she would never complain."

Diane nodded with a sigh. Then she took a USB stick out of her jacket. "I talked to an old friend of mine, another marine biologist. She sent me those swimming patterns of some wandering dolphin pods. Could those be of help?"

"That's actually just what I need," Jason answered. "The residents are relatively simple because there's a lot of data available." He pushed some buttons and pointed to the second, smaller screen next to the main radar monitor. "This is the recording from two days ago."

"Which radius?"

Jason turned his head. Tristan Hicks, the communication officer, had approached them and watched the 3D image with great interest.

"Five miles," Jason explained and changed the angle to a vertical view of ORCA. "I already inserted the patterns of two pods of bottle-nosed dolphins around the Milln and the Pellowe Reef."

"Ah, yes," Hicks nodded. "There. Hunting, don't they? And this big fellow must be the famous Charly."

"The one and only." Jason pushed another button and enlarged the right corner of the image.

"Wow, this object really does look like a whale!" Hicks sounded impressed and Jason felt a hint of pride. Hicks slapped on his back. "Good job! Keep it up!"

"Thank you, Sir," Jason responded and exchanged a smile with his mother who returned to her station.

 _I ordered a helicopter for you to fly tomorrow afternoon._

 _To fly where?_ , Jason tipped back in the private channel.

 _Mainland. Neri and Shalamorn need some formal outfits and maybe something casual for Vancouver. You know … something ordinary._

 _I shall go shopping with Neri?_

 _And Mera._

The last sentence put a damper on his sudden excitement. Another whole afternoon with Neri would have been a gift. Maybe he could have helped her with a zipper or something …

He liked Mera, of course. He hadn't seen her for a while and she would be of great help. She was familiar with the concept of shopping and the clothing culture of both planets.

What did he say earlier that day to Brett? He couldn't be selfish? At least no one could judge him for his thoughts.

 _I'm on duty tomorrow, until 9 pm._

 _Officially, you're testing your software on a portable radar system._ Jason smirked at this one. _You will leave at 11,_ his mum wrote _. Thought, it would be nice for the four of you to spend some time together before leaving for Vancouver on Friday._

 _The four of us?_

 _Brett's also coming._ This was in fact good news. Two and two. Hopefully, Brett would restrain himself.

 _Keep a low profile, will you?_

Jason rolled his eyes. _Always._


	4. Chapter 4

They took a cab into the city, leaving the helicopter at the airport.

Jason had circled around ORCA for a while and taken a few runs with the onboard radar. He took some notes and widened the circles until he was out of range for ORCA's sensors. This would be just enough to be convincing.

"Wow, I totally forgot, Cairns is soo big!" Excited, Mera watched the passing buildings. Neri, who sat between them, tightened her grip on Jason's hand. Her face showed both, curiosity and unease. Brett sat next to the driver, directing him to a mall near to the beach.

"But I remember it more crowded."

The streets were not empty, but indeed less crowded than usual. The shops they drove by were open but barely visited.

"Where have you guys been in the last couple of weeks?" the taxi driver asked in a disbelieving tone. "The sudden meltdown of the ice caps, the rising sea level, the strange red cloud in the ocean? Lots of people thought Earth is going down!"

"But it's all gone now," Brett answered. "The Red Virus is defeated and the sea temperature is down to normal again."

The taxi driver examined their uniforms. "You guys are from ORCA? Well, I guess you know, what you're talking about, living out there. But people here don't believe it's really over. They're sort of waiting for the next catastrophe."

"They live in fear?" Neri asked, sad and horrified at the same time.

"You're lucky. This a good day to visit the city. People started to work again and the shops re-opened. But five days ago, you still could have seen the traces of pillaging."

Neri darted a confused glance at Jason. "Pillaging?" she formed silent.

"Robbing. In times of panic, people take everything they can," Jason whispered so quietly, only Neri could hear.

"Earth People tend a lot to panic," Jason added later, then they watched the cab drive away. "This is why the presence of the Ocean People on earth, the whole story with Malakat and the pyramid, has to stay a secret for now."

"Earth People are younger than Ocean People in evolution," Mera explained. "But even they couldn't see the whole picture, or above this sick plan of Malakat. And now they are just as scared as Earth People."

Neri took her sister's hand. "Courage, sister."

Mera smiled back. "Yes, sister."

Brett and Jason exchanged looks. "Come on," Brett said with a happier tone. "We're here to find some distraction. Can we talk about something else than politics, just for one afternoon?"

"Yes," Mera agreed with a wide smile. "You are right. I want to buy a pretty blue dress for Mother. She likes blue."

Brett made a relieved gesture with his hands against the sky. "So let's go!"

Jason laid his arm around Neri's shoulder when walking down the street. She leant against him, her arm around his waist, carefully setting one foot after the other. She just didn't like shoes.

Their younger siblings lead the way. Mera glanced back and grinned, seeing Jason and Neri in close embrace. She winked at him, then turned back. Neri and Jason exchanged smiles. Walking along, he could still feel her glance on his face. The butterflies in his stomach danced a happy dance.

Keeping a low profile wasn't that easy when being the only costumers. It took several shops and boutiques to get the necessary items. The nice shop assistants swarmed around them like bees, brought them dresses, shirts, scarves and shoes. A young guy with black hair in an asymmetric, stylish hair cut, very likely like Zoe's back then in the old days, brought a dark sweater and held it up to Jason. Jason tried to stop him with a wave of his hand.

"Thank you, Miles," Jason said with a short glimpse to his badge, "but we're just here for the girls."

Miles twitched his lips with a look of disapproval when looking up and down at Jason.

"It's just a working uniform," Jason explained.

"Anyway dear," Miles shrugged. "as much, as I am into men in uniform and as much, as I have to admit, you look just stunning in it, I really wanna see you in _this_."

Jason hesitated.

"Come on, Jase," Brett grinned. "The president is paying anyway. By the way," he held up a red t-shirt with a wild pattern, "Miles, what do you think of this for me?"

Miles obviously didn't like to be called away from Jason but went for Brett all professional. "Maybe the green one, honey. Red with your hair is … stingy."

Jason looked at the dark sweater in his hands. It looked indeed very nice and felt very soft.

"Oh, Neri, look!" Mera exclaimed and pointed to a black dress with a glittering stripe, formed like a wave, from shoulder to the hem of the skirt in the colours of the ocean. "This is just perfect for you."

She grabbed a silk blouse in turquoise with a thin scarf and some classic black trousers. "And this!"

Jason's mouth was suddenly dry when imagining Neri in those. Of course, he liked her best when she was wearing her usual dress because she was all comfortable in it. But sooner or later, they all had to lay down their habits for a more grown-up look. In a few weeks, they would be all part of an official representing unit.

Mera knew her sister and had spotted just the right thing. Neri took the dress and her eyes met Jason's with a questioning expression. He nodded and smiled.

Miles broke the eye contact with some skinny jeans. He grinned and pointed to the changing rooms. "Chop-chop, get in there, handsome!"

"Listen to this man," Brett advised enthusiastically, watching himself in different angles in the mirror in his new green t-shirt, which soft coloured pattern mixed up perfectly with the nice beige scarf around his neck. "That guy's a genius!"

Jason felt himself turning slightly red by the glance Miles shot at him in those... _very skinny_ jeans. "I don't know," he murmured.

"Fiddlesticks!" snapped Miles. "Wait here. I'll fetch something else."

Thoughtful, Jason looked at his reflection. The working-out in the gym was paying out. Miles was right, his butt looked nice in those jeans. Would Neri notice? Did she even bother?

One or two cubicles away, he heard Mera giggling. "Serious competition, Neri!"

"What do you mean?" Neri sounded confused.

"Well," Mera explained. "this Miles guy his hitting hard on Jason. He seems so determined to get him out of his clothes. Not, that he ever had any chance -" she continued, when Neri didn't respond. "Not the way, Jason looks at you."

Jason changed quickly and left the cubicle. This was obviously not for him to hear. Mera was younger than Neri but had to grow up more quickly. Living so long on Earth, she was more familiar with … the physical part of a relationship between humans. Jason realised, he had never really thought about, how _things_ worked with the Ocean People. Maybe, Neri and he wouldn't even be able to … get physical. They looked just the same, but their metabolisms were totally different. In, probably, not too distant future Neri and he would have to have _the talk_ again, but about each other.

Strange thought.

But on the other side, they had just started to kiss and cuddle a little bit. Vancouver, planned press conferences, negotiations and meetings. It could take years for them, to find time for themselves.

Jason approached Miles, who was looking at some white, elegant shirts for him, and shook off this train of thoughts. Certainly, he put way too much into it. When the time was right, it would probably come to them naturally.


	5. Chapter 5

"How did it go?" his mother asked, hugging Jason shortly. Winston and Cass stood in the door frame to the living room.

"Jason has a new boyfriend!" Brett exclaimed before Jason could answer and fled into the living room, Cass on his feet. Winston, Diane and Jason followed.

Diane blinked. "Did I miss something?"

"Ignore him!" Jason threw a pillow after Brett. "We got everything necessary."

She nodded and grimaced. "And more. I saw the bills. Seems you too had a nice shopping trip," she said with a crooked smile. "At least, show me what you got!"

Brett took out his new belongings with enthusiasm. Cass took out the green shirt. "This is so cool!"

"You should have seen it, Mum," Jason said seriously and Diane looked up from some trousers, Brett was showing her.

"Streets deserted, shops closed. Living so close to the source of the evil, I'd like to think, we know our way around, but I had no idea."

"Blindness is a choice born of fear, nursed by complacency and groomed by comfort," Winston cited and grimaced.

Diane nodded. "Being too close, we shut out the rest of world," she translated. "We were too busy and too afraid to look beyond for too long."

"I talked to one of the shop assistants," Jason ignored the goofy grin of Bretts, "You know, people actually believe, it's their fault."

"Consequences of Global Warming, Environmental Pollution, Deforestation,..." Diane assumed and Jason nodded.

"There was a massive founding wave of new green organisations," he continued, summarising up the talk he had with Miles. "Greenpeace, WWF,... they all have more members than ever before."

Diane's face darkened and Winston got pale. "Oh shit," Cass murmured. "Sorry," she quickly added, when Diane looked at her reproachfully.

Brett looked around. "What?" he asked. "I thought, this is a good thing." He shot a glance at his mother. "Mum, didn't you always complain about people having to less sense for green issues?"

"Brett," Cass started. "don't you get it? The whole thing's gonna blow up!"

Brett blinked and frowned.

"Look," said Winston. "There had been crashes in several stock markets around the globe. The economy has suffered greatly and many people lost all their belongings."

"If they find out," Jason added. "that aliens were responsible, there will be no chance of finding a peaceful solution. Diplomacy will fail even before getting started."

"The green movements will implode," Diane explained. "there will be riots, people on the streets. Radical groups forming..." Winston laid a hand on her shoulder. "Yes, we shall not forget the possibilities, but above all, we have to stay optimistic."

Diane gave him a smile. "Yes, you're right."

"But it was Malakat," Brett objected. "The Ocean People right now in the pyramid, - Shalamorn, Neri, Mera, - they saved the planet!"

"Doesn't matter," Jason answered. "The very second, they find out about this superior technology and its power, they'll stop listening."

"Jason," Diane turned to him. "You should take the new Minifin and get to the pyramid. Shalamorn needs to know about this."

"You're not coming?"

Diane shook her head. "No, I have to talk to your father." She shot a glance at Winston. "And I have to get the President on the phone. We have to speed things up before anything of this gets out."


	6. Chapter 6

"... all their anger, their loss and their fears will be aimed at you," finished Jason. Shalamorn paced up and down in front of the altar. Mera sat on the step right next to the throne, Neri one step down at her feet. Shersheba was a silent shadow, kneeling a few inches away from them.

The interior of the pyramid had changed. Now, that it was a temporary home to Shalamorn and her folks, it was decorated with heavy carpets and tapestries with strange patterns of emerald green and red. Lights in gold and copper made the room shine bright and comfortable.

Shalamorn finally stopped and looked at him. "There's more, isn't it?"

Jason nodded. "I'm afraid so, Your Majesty," he responded and loosened one of his hands, resting on his hips, to emphasise words with gestures. "Earth People are … greedy. Grasping for what they can. They never liked to be restricted, especially in wasting resources which made their lives comfortable. Even though, they knew, some materials are limited, they kept on living on very high standards."

"Earth People do not understand the value of nature and the ocean," Neri agreed. "They destroy it, make it sick."

"Yes, this is why our people came here in the first place," Mera added. "What are you saying, Jason?"

"You are in possession of a technology that is able to change the environment. You can control the oceans and you could give them a new beginning, a renewed planet. When Earth People find out about this," Jason said with all intensity and turned to Shalamorn. "They will come for it. Probably asking you at first in all friendship, but when you deny it to them – what you should! - their hostility will turn into an open war."

He could almost feel, not just see the reaction, his words caused. The guards exchanged dark looks and started whispering. The serving girls held each other tight, with mouths open in shock and fear. Suddenly, the pyramid was filled with voices of anger, protest and panic.

"Enough," Shalamorn demanded quietly and the voices immediately died down.

"I'm sorry," Jason said. "We should have seen this much earlier."

Shalamorn conquered the distance between them. "Oh no, my dear," she responded and touched his chest and shoulder for a second in a reassuring gesture. "Please, you have no idea how grateful I am for you and what your family has done for mine. I will accept no apologies, for you are the least to be blamed for this situation."

"Jason?" Neri stood up. "You really think, it is so bad? Should we not have faith?"

"Sister," Mera answered instead of Jason and Neri turned to face her. "I have learned about Earth's history in school back then. If people are afraid, they do all kind of cruel things. You know best, what they are capable of when they face something unknown."

Neri shot an intense look at Jason. "But I know there is also kindness. There is something good in people." She looked from Mera to her mother to Jason again. "We should believe. It is also Earth people who saved me."

Jason and Mera exchanged a quick look. "It was Jason who saved you," Mera said. "And Brett."

"Look," Jason said while approaching her. He took her hands into his. "I want to believe, Neri. I really do. Maybe, - hopefully, - mankind will prove us wrong. Sometimes extreme events bring out the best in the people." He squeezed her hands and raised a smile from her, before looking at Shalamorn. "There a many people who have been waiting for aliens their whole life. Excited and fascinated by the thought, there might be someone else out there. In some parts of the world, they're gonna celebrate your arrival." He turned back to Neri. "But we shouldn't take any risks."

"Agreed," Shalamorn nodded. "What do you suggest, Jason?"

He let go of Neri but she held onto one hand. Fingers entangled, which distracted him for a second. "We have to get more people to our side. People, who are ready to listen and understand. Meeting with the politicians is just the beginning. We need to get in contact with those Nerds I told you about. Building up a network before going public."

Neri and Mera exchanged smiles. "Re-connect with old friends," Mera assumed. "Those from back of the old days, who helped us."

"Then," Shalamorn finished. "This is what we are going to do. Right after we met with this world's leaders." She turned to him. "Thank you, my dear," she said with a warm smile.

Jason felt himself slightly blushing and nodded shortly. "I've got to head back," he said in Neri's direction. "Officially, ORCA's still a research facility, not a platform for interplanetary communication. I have to write my reports." He grimaced at the thought, then cupped her face with one hand. "I'll see you tomorrow." He hesitated, but when Shalamorn and Mera, smirking, politely looked away, he dared to and kissed her good-bye. The kiss turned out longer than he had planned, but he didn't really feel like complaining. Especially, when Neri gently grabbed him around his waist and held him close for a second.

He still felt a little embarrassed when returning to the bay. Kissing Neri was still something very intimate and special. For a while now, he had had the feeling, that Mera was watching him. And Neri, of course. That she'd known all along. Now, although officially a couple, he still felt like being under constant surveillance. Almost, as if now, they had to prove they were in fact in a romantic relationship, for before, they had to prove they weren't.

"You two are so …," a well-known voice said out of the dark. "Sweet."

Jason stopped and turned around. "Shersheba," he realised when she stepped out of the shadow of a column. She smiled like a cat in front of a big bowl of cream. "You behave so innocently and shy, as almost as if you didn't really know what to do with yourself," she came up to him, "or with _her_. You know, for a while I thought," she purred with her voice all velvet, coming even closer, "I could show you. And we could become _really_ good friends."

Jason snorted. "What do you want, Shersheba?"

Her smile flickered. "I want to help."

Jason folded his arms across his chest. "First of all, we don't need your help. And secondly, why would you even bother?"

Shersheba turned serious and hurt, but Jason knew better. "Jason," she said in a pleading tone. "I am very sorry for what happened. Neri's death wasn't my fault."

"You weren't exactly sad either, were you?"

Shersheba sighed. "I am ambitious and fierce," she confessed surprisingly sincere. "I am used to always get what I want." Dark eyes met blue ones. "But I never wanted anyone to get hurt. It was Malakat. He poisoned my thoughts with cruelty, intoxicated my mind with his craving for power."

Jason hesitated. Malakat had also successfully influenced Shalamorn. "I guess, he was really good in that," he admitted slowly.

Shersheba's face lit up. "Yes, I even had to hold him back, by the time he wanted to shoot Neri."

"Yeah, she told me."

"Jason, all I wanted, was to help my people." He didn't shake her off when she touched his arm. "I really believed him back then. I was fourteen, my parents gone. Dead by the Red Virus."

"I'm sorry," Jason said honestly and she nodded.

"Malakat was very kind to me. And, when he told me, he could save us if I led an attack on Earth, how could I refuse? We already had suffered and lost so much."

"It must have been hell," Jason responded sympathetically and loosened his arms. "But, what do you want me to do?"

"I just want a friend." Shersheba pointed back in direction of the throne room. "They don't let me go home, as if the Queen wants to supervise me personally, and down here, all they see, is a traitor."

"Can you blame them?"

"No," she shook her head. "Of course not. But if I had just one person," she looked up. "Someone like you, who'd believe me …"

"Shersheba, look," Jason sighed finally. "I have a lot on my mind right now. I heard what you said and I think about it. But give it some time, will you?"

Shersheba smiled a radiant smile. "Thank you, Jason."

Jason opened the roof of the minifin. "Good night, Shersheba," he answered and climbed in.


	7. Chapter 7

"So, this is Vancouver, but the main city of Canada is Toronto?" Shalamorn set her finger to a point of the world map lying in front of her on a desk. Diane, who sat next to her, nodded. "Right."

"And these are the nations of the European Union, capital Brussels. Senator Michael Ferrière. United Nations of Africa, Senator Irina Umbajali."

"Correct. She is a very strong and a very competent woman," Diane told in an admiring tone. "You will easily find common ground with her."

Shalamorn nodded. "Yes, I read about her progress in education, she was able to grant by the equality laws, recently becoming applicable."

The voices of the two woman repeating and discussing the political structures of the Global Union became a blur when Jason passed them by and reached the end of the small plane. He put the can of water in front of Neri and sat down next to her.

The minute the plane took off, Neri had taken off her shoes. Fascinated, she had looked out of the window, still, some time after they had passed the cloud ceiling.

Shalamorn wore a marine blue costume. Neri was wearing the turquoise blouse with a scarf, and the classic black trousers which Mera had chosen for her. A black blazer jacket was hanging over the backrest of her chair. She looked just as good in these clothes, as Jason had imagined it. When he had told her, she had rewarded him with a bright smile. "You also look beautiful," she had answered. Jason was wearing a suit: black trousers, white shirt, black suit jacket. The trunk, he had brought for these three days, were full of those garments. At least, he needn't wear a tie, for the upcoming conference was held in secret. Therefore, only the twelve senators and the president of the Global Nations would be attending. Plus, security staff, of course.

The oceanic security staff, although most of the time with indifferent facial expressions, still radiated a sense of unease in the suits they wore above their usual garments. Naturally, the shoes had lead to some quiet grumbling, but nevertheless, they had complied.

They passed another air layer and finally broke through the clouds. Neri's mouth stood open in admiration.

"You have never been that high up in the air, have you?" Jason assumed.

Neri shook her head. "You?"

Jason nodded. "Yeah, several times, when we were going on vacation," he explained. "Flying is the fasted way to travel – and statistically, the safest." Inside, he shook his head at himself. _Why are you talking such bullshit?_ he asked himself. These were the last couple of hours, they had for themselves, and he just blabbed boring nonsense.

Neri must have sensed his discomfort, for she took his hand. "I am glad, you're here," she said. "I'm afraid, but you make me feel safe."

"I have a confession to make," Jason answered. "I'm scared, too. We are about to meet the highest authorities of the planet. This is huge!" He turned his torso in her direction to face her, his left shoulder buried into the backrest. "I have no idea, what your mother expects of me, Neri. I don't want to disappoint her – or you."

Neri turned towards him and laid a hand on his chest. "You never disappoint me. You always know what to do. You see."

Jason took her hand into his and lead it to his mouth to plant a kiss on it. Neri smiled happily. Then her face changed into a more serious expression. "Now, tell me about more about, what happened to Earth People. Why afraid, why so angry?"

Jason sighed. He would rather kiss her some more. But Neri was right. They both needed to focus. "Well, nowadays people from all over the world, markets, politics – everything is connected. Either in social and professional digital networks, value chains, financial stock markets, … You don't need to know the details," he quickly added, when Neri's face got more confused with every word. "But the problem is, if there's a crisis somewhere, depending on its significance, it can quickly result in consequences of a global extent. Look, " he took a tablet and a pen, opened a blank sheet and started drawing. Neri leant over to watch him. Her mouth curled up into an amused smile, when he painted a poorly version of a picture, showing a man in a boat with fishing gear and some fish underneath. Drawing had never been a strong suit of his.

With different stickmen, arrows, boxes and other symbols, Jason spent the next half an hour explaining the impact of the Red Virus to the fishing industry and outlining the consequences for the stock markets. He illustrated the close links between the four different world currencies and illuminated the constant swing between their values and those of goods, which could lead to the catastrophic ramifications for the poorer classes of the population.

"So," he concluded, "in times of panic, the value of the currency drops, but at the same time, food and other essential goods, are becoming more expensive. The swing at some point turns into a cycle, which spirals downwards. It is almost impossible to make it stop, or to make it rise again."

During his explanations, Neri's expression had changed from confusion into horror and disbelief.

"We now have some security measures, which means the value of the currency cannot drop under a certain level, and the value of vital goods cannot rise above a certain limit. But the impacts are still disastrous."

"Why rich people do not help poor people?" Neri asked with incomprehension.

Jason squeezed her hand. "Because, as I told you, people are greedy. Some even make money out of other people's misery. Rich folks often don't wanna even see or hear of poverty, starvation or cruelties happening in other parts of the world. They even pretend to be blind for the needs of the people at their front door."

Neri's eyes began to shine and soon after, silent tears were running down her cheek. Jason cupped her face with his hand. "Oh, Neri," he whispered. "I'm so sorry, you had to hear all about this." He caressed her cheek with his thumb. "I wish, I could keep you out of this mess. Shut you off from the dark and bad."

Neri shook her head slightly, so he wouldn't loose his grip on her face. "I need to know," she said with a husky voice.

Jason pulled her into a hug. "Okay. But that's enough for today."

Neri buried her head in his chest and he stroked her hair.

"Look," he said quietly after a while. "I don't claim, there are no good folks out there. In fact, there are all sorts of beneficial organisations, full of good-hearted, kind people. They do a lot for children, for animals, for the environment, for victims of war, natural hazards and other bad stuff. Maybe, or most certain, I am the wrong person, to tell you all about Earth, for I can be very cynical. I learned to expect the very worst of people," he admitted. "But you," he carefully loosened her arms around him, pushing her a few inches away, so he could look into her face. "You amaze me, Neri. With your kindness and your faith. With your ability to see, and bring out the best in everyone you meet, including me."

Neri mirrored his smile. "You are a good person, Jason."

"Well, if you say so, no objections here," he grinned. "For you usually know your way around people." He nudged her nose with his, and she laughed.

All in all, it seemed to be the worst of moments, wrong time and wrong place. But seeing her smiling, radiating, the words escaped him, before he could stop himself.

"I love you, Neri."

He had said it with a low voice. Seriously, sincerely, from the heart. Devout.

For a second, he had the impression, the world had got silent.

By the next, he rejected this thought due to his imagination.

Neri had stopped laughing, even smiling. She stared at him with big eyes, and for one heartbeat, he was afraid, she had stopped breathing. Then her expression changed slightly, and he found himself being looked at in astonishment. She laid her right hand on her heart, her left hand on the same spot on his chest.

Similar to many times before, he didn't need her to speak out. She made him understand perfectly.

With a glance of the most endearment, he had ever seen on her, she stretched her neck two inches and covered his lips with hers.

This kiss was none of the shy touches, they had shared before. There was nothing care-, or even playful about it. No trying, no clumsiness. No awkward attempt to find the same rhythm in breathing, or pace of movement, but a passionate meeting of tongues, a gently caressing and intimate tasting of flesh. Jason embraced her face with both hands, while he felt hers wandering under his jacket, stroking his back and pulling him closer to her. When he sensed her knee brushing against his, the rushing of blood into lower parts of the body got worse, but he didn't care. He shoved the fear, she might notice his arousal, aside and let her leg slide over his. He inhaled her scent when she sighed almost inaudibly. Her mouth felt soft and warm.

"Dear passengers, shortly we arrive Canadian airspace." The captain's voice from out of the speakers dragged them out of their bubble. "Please return to your seats, for we will begin our final descent in a few minutes."

"Well," Jason said with a grin, still in a tight embrace with Neri. There foreheads touched. "Unfortunately, it's time for shoes."


	8. Chapter 8

The little hotel lay down the road at the side of the mountain, leaving the actual city underneath.

After moving into each their rooms, Diane and Jason joined Neri and Shalamorn in theirs, only to find them on the balcony, staring down into the valley in wonder.

It was a sunny day. The icicles, hanging from all the beams, and the snow, which covered the mountainsides, every plane and every roof, sparkled so bright, Shalamorn held one flat hand to her forehead, shielding her eyes.

Neri seemed lost of words. Her gaze went from the mountains to the city, to the sea and back again.

Jason smiled. She was barefoot again, of course.

"Well," Shalamorn said when Jason and Diane stepped onto the balcony. "This is something, I have never seen before. Your planet is extraordinary!"

"You don't have frozen water on the Ocean Planet?" Diane asked.

"No," the Queen answered. "The water at home is either in a state of gas, or fluid." She dropped the hand. "I can honestly say, I never expected snow and ice to be so remarkably beautiful."

"Neri," Diane frowned. "You were travelling with Charly to the south. Didn't you see the ice caps?"

Neri shook her head, finally able to speak. "Not like this, Mother."

Diane shot a quick look at Shalamorn, but she didn't seem to mind, that Neri still called Diane _Mother_.

"There is a lot of amazing things, you can do with snow and ice," Jason said. "Building snowmen, or have a good snowball fight. And you can do all sorts of sport, like skiing, sledging and ice skating."

"What's skiing?" Shalamorn wanted to know.

"Well, that might sound weird," Jason answered. "But you buckle on a flat piece of wood on each of your feet and go down the hillside. We used to go on skiing holidays when Brett and I were younger."

Shalamorn laughed. "That does indeed sound a little strange, – and a little dangerous as well."

Jason shrugged. "I guess, it depends on talent, and if you got a good instructor."

"Maybe, you show me?" Neri beamed at him.

"I'd love, too," Jason grinned.

"Well," Diane said with a cushioning tone. "Maybe, you should start with something safer, like ice skating."

"Mum," Jason objected. "You broke your leg by ice skating in that one winter in Falls Creek!"

"Oh," Diane blinked. "I totally forgot about that."

Shalamorn smiled and shook her head. "You humans," she grinned with a wondrous expression. "You startle me every day anew. I will never understand, what it is, that makes you do all these dangerous sports like football, climbing or skydiving."

"Ah, well," Jason tried to explain. "It's a lot of fun. Adrenalin, the excitement,... it makes you feel alive."

"For many people," Diane added. "It means proving something to themselves. That they can be brave and full of courage. To get the feeling of being able to overcome any challenge."

"You're are an interesting species," Shalamorn said, still smiling, but in a more thoughtful tone. "Life provides already so many challenges, and still you seek out to face even bigger ones. Never resting, running forward to the next adventure." She sighed. "You have so much potential. I sincerely hope, you will be able to overcome your challenges, so we can walk together in a bright future." She looked at Jason and their eyes met. "I believe, one day, the human race will be one of the greatest in the galaxy."

Jason and Diane exchanged quick looks. "Does that mean," Diane asked curiously, "there are more? More races and species?"

Shalamorn smiled. "Of course, there are. The universe is way too big to be a home for just two intelligent life forms."

"So, you haven't actually met another one?" Jason assumed.

Shalamorn shook her head. "No, we don't. But right now, even two species at one place seem to be more than humans can handle. We should focus on that."

The last sentences naturally put a damper on his enthusiasm, but Jason was still thrilled by the thought of a universe, filled with creatures similar to those in Star Trek, or the Star Wars movies.

"Well," Diane said. "I'm sure, the both of you want to freshen, or better, water up," both aliens smiled at her, "so, we leave you alone now, and we see you at Dinner."

Shalamorn agreed by nodding, and Jason stroke Neri's arm, before he joined his mother, stepping out of the suite.

"Dinner with the President of the Global Union," Diane murmured and grimaced at Jason. "An informal Meet & Greet, eating cheese and crackers, with a bunch of know-it-alls, which I usually love to complain about." She shook her head in disbelief. "I will never get my head around this."

Jason grinned and followed her down the floor to their own rooms.


	9. Chapter 9

**Wow, if you made it this far, you must kind of like my story! :-)**

 **Note, that I am not a native speaker, so please review. Your comments would be of great help! Also, I'd love to hear, what you think of it so far.**

* * *

"Senator Bricks," Jason nodded, shaking the third hand at this evening. "Pleasure, to meet you."

The senator of the United States was at least one foot smaller than Jason, and at least twice his weight, but Jason instantly liked the openly smiling, winking man.

"The pleasure is all mine," the senator answered and responded with a tight, dry grip to the handshake. "I heard a great deal about you, Mr Bates."

The private dinner room was filled with people of all skin colours and ethnicities. Jason knew them already from television and news broadcasting, but it still felt strangely unreal.

The door opening caught his attention, and he had to remember to breathe properly when Shalamorn and Neri entered the room. Although wearing just a simple black, sleeveless dress with lace covering the upper part, her hair done in an asymmetric braid over her right shoulder, she was an appearance, he had to process for a minute.

A friendly smack on his shoulder by Senator Bricks brought him back. "Well," he said honestly impressed. "I gotta say, your girlfriend is a princess among girls. And her older sister is a stunning revelation."

Jason grinned widely, but before he could set it right, the women had spotted him and approached them. Shalamorn's dress was a dream of flowing gold, yet modest and elegant. Her hair was pinned up, her make-up flawless.

"Senator Bricks," Jason said and put a hand on Neri's upper back. "May I introduce to you Queen Shalamorn, anointed leader of the People of the Ocean Planet, and her firstborn daughter Neri, crown princess and earthly ambassador."

Bricks was so in shock, he hiccuped. "My dear heavens, I had no idea..." He took a deep bow.

Jason jumped at the chance and leant over to Neri. "You look incredibly beautiful," he whispered and kissed her cheek.

"I am truly delighted and honoured, Your Majesty Queen Shalamorn," Senator Bricks said with another bow. "And, Princess Neri." He took her hand and placed a gallant kiss on its back. Neri blushed but gave no sign of discomfort.

His behaviour drew some attention along with curious glances to them, before another entrance distracted it.

"Ladies and Gentleman," a famous voice began, "welcome to our informal, interplanetary Meet Greet, – although I see, most of you couldn't resist sprucing up yourself a little bit." The President earned some laughter, which she rewarded with a warm smile. Her eyes scanned the room and paused with Shalamorn.

"As I see, our honoured guests are already in our midst, and I am sure, I speak for everyone in this room by saying: welcome on Earth!"

Neri shrank a little when all pairs of eyes were on them. Jason let his hand wander to her waist, to make her feel supported and safe, now holding her close, but yet keeping it appropriate for this kind of public surrounding.

"Welcome on Earth," Madame President Rugeaux repeated, and held up her glass of champaign. Those with beverages in their hands mirrored the gesture. "This is an exciting moment for all of us, and I can truly say, I am thrilled for this to happen, not just in my lifetime, but also during my term in office. Because from now on, I can proudly stand in front of my critics, and dignify their truculent attempts to challenge me with the all known – and _very_ grown-up! – tradition of: neener-neener!"

Jason fell into the common laughter and exchanged a wide grin with his mother, who stood at the other side of the room with Senator De Souza of South America. The senator smiled too, but her pretty features were distorted in a sour kind of way. Jason suddenly remembered that Senator De Souza had been Rugeaux's opponent in the campaign for president. No wonder, De Souza seemed a bit off.

"Of course, I won't support such kind of childish behaviour on any of you," Madame President emphasised with a half-serious smile, earning another laughter.

Jason accepted the glasses of champaign, a waiter presented him and gave them to Shalamorn and Neri.

"So," Madame President finished her speech. "here is to a suspenseful first encounter of the Third Kind, to fascinating conversations, and overall to a successful prelude to a common future!"

"Hear, hear," Senator Bricks agreed, and they drank.

Jason had had some alcohol before, some wine and beer, and Shalamorn was obviously no stranger to earthly alcoholic beverages. But Neri frowned after taking a small sip.

"This taste strange," she whispered to him.

He smiled. "It's just a tradition. You don't have to drink it."

Neri licked her lip in a thoughtful expression then took another sip. Jason watched her, waiting for her final judgement. He laughed when she finally shook her head in dislike and put the glass back on the waiter's tray.

"Thank you," she said to him and smiled. The blonde bloke seemed taken by surprise, for being directly spoken to by her, but recovered quickly.

"Something else then … Your Highness?" He added, blushing and taking a small, but clumsy bow.

She blinked. "Neri," she insisted. "Water, please?"

"Water," he repeated. "Right away." Self-consciously, he turned to Shalamorn, who gave him a warm smile. "For me, as well," she said before the waiter could stumble out the question. He nodded and fled in direction of the kitchen.

"Poor boy," Shalamorn said.

"Na, I think he's gonna come around, Your Majesty. I'm sure, he will tell his grandchildren about the alien crown princess, who offered him to call her by her first name," Jason grinned.

Shalamorn took him by his arm. "And for you, it's Shalamorn, my dear. I get to be formally addressed by so many already, especially in here. We are family, are we not?"

Jason took a deep breath, then nodded and reciprocated the radiant smile, Neri gave him.


	10. Chapter 10

"So, do I get this straight?" Senator Umbajali asked. "Your oxygen metabolism doesn't just work more efficient than ours, your lung capacity to store oxygen is four times as much as human ones?"

Shalamorn nodded. "So it seems, according to scientists of both our species. But we have been taken interest in humans for many years now, and we came to the conclusion, you could extend your abilities on that domain over time."

"Staying underwater for hours?" Senator Ferrière shook his head. "That seems unlikely."

Shalamorn smiled patiently. "For now, yes," she responded.

"Meaning?"

"Meaning," Shalamorn said slowly, "generations of constant progressing could improve your lung capacity at least up to another 75% of the current one."

"Wow, if I could double the time to hold my breath," Senator Bricks thought out loud, "it would be at least three minutes! Impressive." He raised some chuckling and more grins.

"Well," Jason tossed in. "I guess, it's all about practice." He shot a short glance at Neri, who sat next to him at the oval table. "And motivation."

"Holding up with mermaids would sure keep me motivated," Senator Xiung smirked and winked at Neri. Li Xiung, 34 years old, was the youngest politician ever entering the senate and Jason could see why. She was charming but fierce and ambitious. At the age of 24, she had already taken control over the three biggest technology companies in East Asia.

There were eight senators now, Madame President, who was the senator of Canada, included. The other four would arrive the next day. The conversations at the main course had been mostly stuck to food and related topics, like holidays and traditions. But the senators from India and Europe were both scientists in Biology. So, at dessert, the domain had come up, mostly leading to questions about their swimming and diving abilities.

"So, how long can you hold your breath, Jason?" the senator wanted to know.

Jason shrugged. "I don't keep record, but I guess, usually I can dive about twelve minutes, fifteen at the longest, before going up to the surface again."

Xiung whistled impressed. "I loved surfing when I still went to school. But I never got beyond seven or eight minutes."

"At ORCA," Diane explained, "the kids at a certain stage have to absolve a programme which includes the basic features of the facility. They also undergo, among others, diving lessons, so they are able to deal with situations of emergency."

"And also," Jason added. "Seven years of swimming alongside mermaids surely does contribute."

He raised some more smiles before Madame President took the floor again.

"Biology is, without a doubt, a fascinating domain," she said, "but for my part, I am more interested in social topics." She turned to Shalamorn. "I hear, your society is matriarchal. But what does that exactly mean for the roles of a specific gender?"

"Well," Shalamorn took a sip of her red, "as you already know, the women of our folk enjoy a higher rank than men." She put the wine glass back on the table. "Females are seen as keepers of life and knowledge. Their capability for telepathy and empathy is of higher skill than those of males, which is an important part of their claim for domination. Especially in royal families, those abilities have therefore been refined over centuries by breeding."

"Breeding?" Umbajali almost choked on her champagne. Bricks patted her friendly on the back.

"Ah, I guess that word is a little too clinical in your language," Shalamorn realised. "Maybe, you are more comfortable with the term _arranged marriage_."

"Speaking of _breeding_ and _arranged marriages_ , referring to the same outcome," Madame President said carefully, "still sounds a bit odd, no matter what term you use. Although I have to admit, in some parts of this planet, a similar practice has been applied long enough."

Shalamorn nodded and smiled. "Yes, we have another view on this these days, as well."

"So, no arranged marriages anymore?" Ferrière wanted to know.

"Oh yes, of course," Shalamorn responded. "There are, how you call it, love marriages, but arranged life partnerships are still a lot more common. But we don't choose spouses by biology anymore, but by social qualities. Madame President, – " she turned directly to Rugeaux, "your first question was about the specific gender roles. One important task, men fulfil in our society, is the upbringing of the children. They are responsible for teaching and education. So, the qualities already spoken of, are about their abilities in leadership, imparting, and conciliation. They are the link between different classes of society, and bring balance to the household, as well."

"Well, Jason, did you hear that?" Xiung winked at him teasingly. "If you'll marry into this family, you're gonna be a better nanny!"

That comment raised general smirking, but Jason could tell, Shalamorn's smile was just a polite mask. He shook his head.

"No," he objected, "you get it all wrong." He felt the two pair of alien eyes on him and hesitated to deliberately choose his words. "When I first heard of this, I felt offended," he confessed. "The idea of a natural hierarchy, where the women make all the decisions, while men are left to support and protect, made me feel depreciated, and disparaged at first as a man."

Agreeing nods were shown all around the table by the men. Xiung cupped her chin in her hand, while De Souza leant forward, waiting. Rugeaux watched him with a thoughtful, patient expression. Diane had frowned as if she wasn't sure to better meddle in, in case he screwed up.

"But then I realised," Jason continued, "that I had been doing that all along. Since we discovered the heritage six years ago in the crashed craft, and the tasks coming along with this heritage, it felt like the most natural thing for me, to provide Neri – " he shot a glance at her, then addressing the senators again, "with everything she needed to fulfil them. I guess, I always knew that this was all about a higher purpose. Something bigger than me, bigger than Neri, and bigger than the two of us together."

A soft hand slid into his on the table. Their fingers entangled openly for everyone to see. Proud and encouraged of the simple, but an unambiguous gesture of trust and affection, he straightened up in his seat, before speaking on.

"What I saw on other occasions, and witnessed now here again in this discussion, is the lack of an appropriate translation."

"What do you mean by that, Jason?" Madame President asked, and Jason swallowed, for he suddenly realised the importance of what he got to say.

"The understanding, – the definition, – of _hierarchy_ , _rank_ , _domination_ , ... are opposing to their meaning on both our planets," he explained, and gave Shalamorn a look. "Please, correct me, if I am wrong," he addressed her, and she nodded shortly. "But, the entitlement of women to leadership positions on the Ocean Planet does not come just by gender", he ran on. "Men are not objectified or suppressed. Their supporting role is far from being held in low esteem, and they certainly do not maintain it because they are being reduced to their sex. To me, the uplifting of women seems actually originate from appreciation, and admiration of men. Women are more sensitive to their people's needs because of their higher developed capabilities in telepathy and empathy, which we discussed earlier. For the people of the Ocean Planet, ruling and leading have nothing to do with ambition or personal gain. In fact, the concept of striving for power for the power itself, was unknown to them, until they met us."

At this point, Jason sensed some unease among his listeners. Maybe, he had gone too far, but it was the truth after all.

"Women of the Ocean Planet are in charge because they feel obligated to take care of their people," he summarised. "For them, providing for their folk is a matter of personal responsibility."

Every pair of eyes was on him when he had finished. The silence was a thoughtful one, and he might even think an impressed one.

His mother radiated with pride, and he felt himself slightly blushing. When he turned to his right, he found himself looked at with astonishment by two alien women. Shalamorn nodded and smiled at him affectionately. Neri's face had the same expression, she had had on the plane after his confession of love.


	11. Chapter 11

"Hm," Bricks finally said. "I never thought of it this way."

Xiung gave him an agreeing nod. "Yes, obviously more than just an optical enhancement to this round – no offence!" She winked at Jason and grinned at the other senators.

Bricks gave a barking laughter. "None taken," he assured.

"Still," De Souza said humourless, and the general smirking froze. "you entitle yourselves with a royal status. In what way exactly, can this be misinterpreted due to a translation error?"

"In none," Shalamorn responded with dignity, and De Souza folded her arms across her chest, leaning back into her seat. "Our noble background goes way back. I learned, you too still have aristocratic bloodlines, royal families in positions of great power?" This was clearly an assessment, not a question, so she just ran on. "Like them, we go back to tradition and heritage. And likewise, the true origin of the titling will, at some point in history, change into mystery and speculation. But I guess, your question is rather aiming for our political structure? If I am an absolute leader, based on so called blue blood?"

De Souza's corners of the mouth slightly crimped, her face an expression of challenge. Shalamorn's friendly smile didn't brittle even for one second. "No," the Queen spoke on. "I have a representative role, and of course, a policy making part. But decisions are not all mine to make. I am the head of a council, consisting of men and women of science and society. Some elected in democratic votes by people, some chosen by the council members. Also, and I guess, this will be the most important information for you," Shalamorn said and gave De Souza a friendly smile, "if the council doesn't approve of a decision of mine, they can overpower me."

"And how often does that happen?" De Souza asked, her voice sharp with scepticism.

"Oh, there she goes," Bricks interfered in a friendly tone, but grinning uncomfortable. "Didn't we tell you, to leave your badge at home, Katherina? Relax!" He patted on her arm. "This is no interrogation."

De Souza seemed to like him, for she didn't flinch and her features softened a bit. "You're right, Billy. But maybe it should be one," she said relentless, still looking at Shalamorn. "Don't get me wrong. I have no intention to offend you," De Souza went on. "And if I do, please accept my apologies. But this situation is a mess. On this planet, on every continent, in every nation, … around every corner, we have already people struggling with the problems of their everyday life, let alone with issues of bigger contexts. We still have several civil wars going on, and children dying from poverty and starvation. The small success in environmental protection we had in the last few years was erased overnight when one of your people released the Red Virus. You told us, this had been a single act of terrorism, committed by a criminal, who does not have the support of your people anymore, and I believe you. But before we can start discussing your stay on Earth, I have to make sure, that we," – she let her pointing finger swing back and forth between Shalamorn and herself, – "are on common ground here."

Shalamorn had turned serious. "By common ground, you mean a common bundle of values, I understand?" she followed up with De Souza's speech. "A shared code of ethics?"

De Souza nodded and Shalamorn smiled again. "Your concern for your people bestows honour upon you, Senator. And I appreciate your honesty." Shalamorn emphasised her words with an implied bow with her head. "I can assure you, I don't want to cause any more damage to that, already done. Malakat has been held accountable for his crimes and can no longer bring harm to both our planets. All, I wish for now is, to bring our people together. To make a new beginning, so we can start healing. Clean up the mess, as you would say it."

De Souza still seemed sceptical. "You have a way with words. I give you that," she admitted. "But I reckon, Malakat has, too. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to convince people to support him in his plot. So, please forgive me, if I don't jump right away at the idea of sharing my home with people of the same species, who tried to drown us."

"While words won't convince you, I have a practical suggestion: why don't we start tomorrow by developing a common code of ethical standards? Rules, not to be breached by either negotiation, or as a consequence of a decision?"

"I like the sound of that." De Souza nodded and looked at Rugeaux.

"I agree," Madame President said, and one by one, the senators gave a sign of approval, either nodding or smiling.

"Excellent idea," Ferrière exclaimed. "This way, we can get to know each other better, and at the same time, set the framework. I have to say, I was never so eager to start a political exchange like this before!"

Umbajali nodded. "Yes, it does sound exciting. I got to admit, I had no idea what to expect. I brought some reservations with me, – and not all of them are gone, of course, – but it seems, the situation is not that hopeless."

"Don't get too euphoric."

Putting a damper on things, you could really count on De Souza. Jason suppressed a smile.

"The rule book has not been written yet," the senator warned them, but instead of frozen smiles, she raised some new smirking.

Suddenly, Neri turned her head in direction on the balcony.

"Neri, you're alright?" Diane asked.

Shalamorn laughed and lay an arm around Neri. "My daughter has the most advanced capability in telepathy, compared to anyone I ever met, including me. The song of the pod of Orcas in the bay is just a distant echo in my head but for Neri, it must be as clear as our voices in this room."

Neri smiled shyly. "They sing hello to us."

Ferriére frowned. "You both can hear whales from twelve miles away?"

"Yes," Neri responded. "And it is beautiful."

"Impressing."

"Well, I guess," Jason concluded. "This is goodnight, then."

"Why?" Ferrière asked in a disappointing tone. "This is getting interesting again."

"Because someone," Jason grinned at Neri. "wants to go swimming with some new friends."

His heart skipped a beat when she broke into a happy, radiant smile.

"Don't worry, Senator," Shalamorn assured him, and got up. "We will find time, to answer all your questions to our physiology."

Words of Good-night were exchanged, some last sips taken, chairs rearranged.

"Jason."

Madame President touched his arm, and they watched the others leaving. When Diane and Neri turned around, he gestured them to go as well.

"You did a good job, today," Rugeaux said quietly. "As you know, gender issues have been a serious and exhausting debate for decades. Only a few years ago, we finally came to a satisfying conclusion for everyone. Rising this subject again would have brought a lot of unease to this room. After your explanation, I could feel the wave of relief, running through. Especially the men had had a lot of reservations before they came here. You made them all more comfortable around the Queen, and I thank you for that."

Jason shrugged. "I just spoke my mind. Somehow I felt obligated to clear this up."

"You made some impression," she nodded. "But for the future, you should maybe try to be more neutral with your opinions."

Jason frowned. "What do you mean?"

Rugeaux watched him seriously. "Implying, the Ocean People got their bad habits from us, is not a statement, you can lightly ignore. Some of the senators didn't like that."

Jason shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other. "Look," he responded. "I appreciate your advice, but with all due respect: I am here because of Neri. She is my main concern. I'm here to make sure, she is not harmed."

"You can not protect her forever."

"I can try!"

Rugeaux smiled, and Jason sighed when he realised how childish he had sounded. Of course, he couldn't protect her forever. But after failing her once, he had sworn to try even harder.

"Your commitment is admirable," Rugeaux said softly. "These negotiations will take years, and she will need you. But you will serve her best by making friends, not enemies among fellow politicians."

Jason shook his head. "I am no politician."

She gave him a thoughtful look. "You are now."


	12. Chapter 12

Jason turned off the tablet, and Diane, who had been sitting next to him on the couch while talking to Brett via Skype, stood up.

"Well, this has been a very successful prelude indeed," she said, yawning. "Tomorrow's gonna be even more interesting. But De Souza is right, we're far from finished."

Jason shrugged. "The real negotiation didn't even start yet. Especially you should know by now, how much time authorities take for any kind of decision."

Diane watched him with a thoughtful expression. Then she stretched out her arm and stroked over his cheek.

"Mum?" Jason asked, embarrassed and feeling uncomfortable by her touch. She took her hand away and smiled in an apologising way.

"Sorry," she murmured. "I know, you're not a child anymore. I just feel like I missed out the exact point when you grew into this wise man, who took the floor along the most influential politicians just like that."

Jason felt himself blushing. "I suppose," he assumed. "It helps if you know what are you doing it for."

"Or for whom?" Diane guessed.

Jason hesitated. "As I said today, this is bigger than a single person."

Diane sighed. The smile was gone. "You're right. But I'm afraid, this will nevertheless consume more than the life of a single person. I am scared of what this will do to Neri, and to you. Politics is an ugly place."

"All the more, why I won't leave her alone in this."

"Yeah, I already assumed that." She straightened up. "Enough of talking for today. I'm going to bed. Good night, Sweety!"

Jason rolled his eyes but grinned back. "Night."

Diane left through the intern door to her room and shut it behind her. Jason stood up, to make himself ready for bed.

He had just brushed his teeth, and changed into his blue checked pair of pyjamas along with a white sleeping shirt when a soft knock at the door to the floor stopped him on his way into the sheets.

"Hey," he said softly, and the butterflies in his stomach were wide awake again. He stepped aside to let her in.

Neri wore a grey pyjama, her hair still shimmering wet after her swim.

"You're alright?"

Neri nodded. "Can't sleep," she confessed and grimaced.

"Where is your mother?" Jason asked.

Neri entered his room. "Talking to council on the Ocean Planet."

Jason closed the door. "You don't wanna be alone, hmm?"

She turned around to smile at him. "I miss Charly and my island. It feel like the first night on ORCA," she explained. "So many stranger people."

"Yeah," Jason agreed. "I know, what you mean. I didn't like to be on ORCA at first. Not until I met you, I started to feel at home under the water." Startled, he shook his head at the memory. "I can hardly remember life before that."

"I remember," Neri said. "No mission, no battles. But also no family."

"No sister, no mother _s_ ," he ran on.

"No Jason," she added smilingly, but with a conclusive tone, which told him about her feelings.

He closed the distance between them. "Yeah," he sighed, and pulled her into a hug. "I wouldn't change a thing, either." She wrapped her arms around his neck and leant on to him. Her fingertips gently caressing the skin between the hairline and the collar of his shirt, sent delightful shivers down his spine. He allowed himself to breathe in her scent.

"Would you like to stay here for the night?" he murmured, lips close to her ear before he could stop himself.

Instead of a spoken answer, she buried her face in the small hollow between neck and collarbone. Holding her so close, and feeling her warm breath on his skin, made immediately some part of him regret the suggestion.

Another part, – a part which became more dominant every second, – told him to just forget any sanity. To kiss her neck, and to let his hand on her back slide deeper down, to touch the rounding of her butt, and bring her closer to his hips.

Jason almost moaned by the thought. Instead, he took a deep breath. It took him some force, to stop his imagination from running wild, but suddenly he remembered his own words when talking to Rugeaux.

 _I'm here to make sure, she is not harmed._

This was Neri, _his_ Neri. And he had no intention of scaring her away by going too far too fast. He had always held her needs over his own. This was no different.

This was supposed to be a comforting hug. An embrace to assure her, she could count on him, not another occasion for him to touch her.

Curiously, it worked. Jason smiled and tightened his grip around her. This embrace was still arousing, but somehow _manageable_.

"Come on," he said quietly, and touched her cheek with his shortly while retreating. "Let's go to bed."

He didn't suggest sleeping on the floor. The bed was very big, and he even came to think, it was spacier than Neri's hut. So, in the end, this was no different from a sleepover on the island, was it?

"How was your swim?" He asked when taking the place of the left side of the bed. Neri had already slipped into the sheets on the right.

"Good," she answered, and lay down, facing him. "They were very nice. They tell me of other Charlys, they met."

Jason lay down on his back and pulled the blanket up to his chest.

"The woman did not like us."

Jason shrugged, then crossed his arms behind his head, resting it on the open palms of his hands. "De Souza is not exactly a people's person, but she is one of the good guys," he explained. "I wasn't very attentive to politics and stuff back then, but even I heard about this great corruption scandal, De Souza revealed five years ago in Brazil. She started off as a police officer, then took the lead of the FBI department in Buenos Aires. As a senator she brought in some really strict laws, to force especially big companies and financial institutes to be more transparent with any kind of cash flow. She can be really annoying, and suspicious, but people respect her. If we convince her, we won half the bet."

"If she is on our side, other people will follow her?"

Jason nodded. "Her approval is very important. But we need at least half the senators to support us."

They remained silent for a moment, both of them each lost in own thought.

"What did Madame President say to you?" Neri finally wanted to know.

"That I had an important part to play now. And, that your mother had been right about bringing me in," he summarised the last part of their conversation. "I guess, I fill out the part of an Ocean Man perfectly," he grinned. "Being the link between the people, and all that."

"You are a perfect man for both our people."

He felt his grin flicker, and himself blushing instead. Not just, because of the compliment, but also for the matter-of-fact tone, she had used, and the endearing look she gave him.

He cleared his throat. "We should sleep now, don't you think?"

She nodded, and he loosened his arms to push the light switch to his left.

"Good Night," he said into the darkness. "Sleep well, Neri."

Again, the answer came non-spoken, but by a soft touch on his chest. He chuckled and stretched out one arm. "Come here," he whispered, and there she was, cuddled up against him. He lay the arm around her, and took the hand on his chest into his own, just in case.

Who knows, what would happen, if she kept stroking his chest, while he was half off, dreaming of her?

He fell asleep, listening to the sound of her breathing.


	13. Chapter 13

**Please review! :-)**

* * *

Showered and shaved, Jason stepped out of the bathroom. He took a new white shirt out the drawer, when, after a soft knock, his mother appeared through the intern door.

"Jason..."

"Shh!" he cut her off and nodded to the bed where Neri was still sleeping. Diane looked at the bed, looked at him and her expression switched between shock and anger. Jason shook his head, buttoned up his shirt and pointed to the balcony. It was a very sunny warming, so he guessed, it wouldn't be too cold.

"Since when are you two having …. _sleepovers_?" she wanted to know in an intense, but quiet tone, the minute they close the balcony door behind them.

"You don't have to emphasise it like this, Mum," Jason answered. "It's actually just what it looks like: a sleepover. Similar to all the occasions, when we stayed at the island for the night."

Diane still looked at him doubtfully, but also with a hint of relief. "So, you don't...?"

Jason shook his head. "No, Mum. We don't have sex." He shot a glance through the glass to the sleeping beauty inside. "Neri didn't feel safe in her own room all alone, and Shalamorn was still working. So she came to me."

Diane breathed relieved and smiled in Neri's direction. "Okay," she said.

"But even if we did," Jason started, and the mild expression vanished immediately from her face, "we're grown-ups. It would be none of your business."

Diane's lips tightened. "Wrong, Jason." She cupped his face with her hands. " _You_ are my business. And so is she." She withdrew her hands. "I know, I don't have to tell you about STDs or the chance of pregnancy, for you already know all about that. Well," she added with another glance at Neri. "With Neri, I guess both would be rather unlikely, especially the latter."

"When why bother?"

"Because I love you both," Diane said intensely. "And I'm afraid what it's going to happen to you two if it doesn't work out. If your relationship gets deeper, - and it usually does when adding sex, - …" She paused and was lost in thought for a moment. Then she looked at Jason again. "What, if she is affianced? Promised? What will happen, when she has to go back to the Ocean Planet?"

"To the first, Brett pointed this out already."

"So?"

Jason shook his head. "Shalamorn saw us together. Saw us holding hands, hugging, kissing. If someone was already waiting for Neri," he concluded, "Shalamorn would have never let us go that far." This revelation came to him as he spoke of it. Relief washed through him, and at the same time, he felt stupid for not realising this fact sooner.

"And to the second?" Diane looked suddenly pale. She already knew the answer.

"I don't intend to stay here without her. I already made this decision a while ago."

"When?"

Jason grabbed his mother by the shoulders. "I can't tell, Mum. At some point, I just knew." Diane's eyes were wet.

"Maybe, it was," he continued, "when I realised she hadn't taken the flight back along with her sister? When I saw her standing just a few inches away, watching her sister leave?"

Diane inhaled. "This was years ago. All this time, you have been in love with her?" she whispered.

Jason shook his head. "Even longer, I guess. I just never acted on my feelings." He let go of his mother and leant against the wooden balustrade. "As you will remember, there was always a mission. Something always came up."

Diane smiled, remembering. "But that hasn't changed. The situation is even more complicated now," she objected.

Jason shrugged. "Yeah, but for a moment, a very _naïve_ moment, we thought, we were done with all the difficulties, and we went for it. The next day, the world tumbled again."

Diane looked at Neri again and neither of them spoke for while.

"It's madness," Diane then said slowly. "But I guess, relationships are never easy. Your fathers and mine didn't work out quite right. Why not just add some aliens and interplanetary conflicts?"

Jason mirrored her grin. "You and Dad," he said then more seriously again. "I thought,..."

Diane shook her head. "No, that chapter is over. I mean, yes," she admitted. "We hooked up some time," - Jason grimaced, entangling his arms in front of his chest, and Diane continued quickly, - "but no. We're on a stable base of friendship right now and this is how we want to keep it."

Jason nodded and shook the uncomfortable image out of his mind by letting his view wandering over the snowy valley and the sleeping city to their feet. The sun was warm and had prevented them both from freezing out there on the balcony. But sunny or not, Jason wasn't as immune to the cold, as he could be standing barefoot on frozen wood forever. He turned to go inside, but his mother held him by one arm.

"Jason," she said with a sad smile. "I just don't want any of you getting hurt."

"We don't want that, either," Jason answered. "But this is our decision, and whatever happens, there is nothing you can do about it." He pulled his mother into a hug. "I love you, too, Mum."

He let go of her and she smiled at him with glassy eyes. Then something caught her attention. "Look. Neri's awake."


	14. Chapter 14

They had taken the Fundamental Law of the Global Union as a framework basis. For hours and hours, they sat in the room on the oval table, discussing, debating and nailing the complicated constitution down to the most necessary and simplest meaning. Shalamorn was acquainted with Earth Writing, but her knowledge didn't suffice. Neri couldn't read at all, – a fact, that was better hidden. So it was down to Diane and Jason to read the laws out loud for them. When Jason looked out the window for the first time that day, the sun had gone and it was snowing out of thick, dark clouds. Shalamorn had tried to write down the laws, translated and handwritten in the writing of the Ocean People, but had given up quickly. Instead, she now tipped in the strange symbols for everyone to see in a holographic device, much likely to the communicator, Jason already knew. Many senators had watched this with great interest and curiosity.

"I can understand, you don't use such a thing as paper and ink on a planet mostly consisting of water," Senator Sokolow of Russia said. "But I would have expected a finer writing system from a civilisation as highly developed as yours."

"Well," Shalamorn responded smilingly and finished a sentence on the device. "As you know, water is patient and strong. Even symbols carved in stone are erased over time. The most important events in history have been burnt into metal. But only a few flammable materials on our planet can reach the sufficient temperature. This way of carrying information further to the next generation is expensive and elaborate."

"So," Umbajali assumed, "you stored all your knowledge, your stories, your wisdom in the only thing, which would last forever: the memory of your people."

Shalamorn nodded. "The the most part, yes," she answered. "A basic writing system has been created. But our civilisation has developed on the basis of respect for all living creatures and the laws of the ancient ones. The technology, you can see here," she pointed to the device, "allowed us to extend our writing system to an alphabet, which can be compared to those of your old Egyptian symbolism."

"There are conspiracy theories," Sokolow said, smiling mischievously, "that the pyramids in Egypt have in fact been built by aliens. Do you have anything to say to that?"

This was actually the first time, this room was filled with laughter and chuckling. Jason suddenly realised, how serious and focused everybody had been. The amusement had a relieving effect, and Jason felt himself relaxing slightly.

Shalamorn laughed, too. "Well, I can not say, we are totally innocent."

Suddenly, the atmosphere was in a tension.

"Are you serious?" Sokolow asked stunned, and Jason remembered, he had been a history professor at some Russian university. But he couldn't tell his exact subject. He should definitely do more homework on these politicians.

"We came here some thousand years ago," Shalamorn explained. "My people were still young and we just had begun to travel the galaxy. They built pyramids on different planets to serve as a shelter. Too late, my ancestors realised, Earth was inhabited by an intelligent species. To that time, the pyramids were still underwater. So they left them and returned home. They thought the pyramids wouldn't be detected until Earth People would be ready for them. Most certainly, they didn't expect them to use them as a model to design sepulchral monuments for their kings."

"Yeah, the Berbers, we met in Egypt," Jason thought out loud and turned to face Neri. "They told us about the Pyramid of Mystery. They never found a way to get in. I guess, people back then just assumed it to be some sort of tomb."

"So, the pyramids were built by our men," Solokow concluded. "This will surely disappoint a lot of people."

Jason grinned. "Especially, the fans of the Star Gate series."

"I _loved_ the movie," Xiung beamed. "And SG-1. But I never had time to watch _Atlantis_ or _Universe_."

"You should watch it," Jason insisted. " _Universe_ is my favourite!"

"Na," Rugeaux objected. " _Universe_ took a whole season to get interesting. _Atlantis_ has a more thrilling plot."

She found herself stared at.

"What?" Madame President asked, widely grinning. "Didn't expect me to be a geek, did you?"

"It's great, you find some common ground here," De Souza said, and the general smirking froze. "But if you intend to deepen your conversation about Science Fiction, you should better take this to dinner. We are not finished yet."

"Of course," Rugeaux responded. Xiung and Jason exchanged a secret grin.

"I don't think, we will finish today anyway," Umbajali objected. "For my part, I'm much more interested in the fact, that there's a civilisation out there, working perfectly without the amount of bureaucracy."

"Well, if you look at it the other way round," Shalamorn answered, "it is very odd, to create a society, where every decision, every contract, and every process is depending on a mountain of paperwork. It does slow down and limits your freedom to act, doesn't it?"

"It takes time," Ferrière admitted. "Sometimes years to get the permission to built a house!"

"It's a matter of fairness," De Souza explained. "To make sure, everyone is treated the same."

"But people are not all the same," Neri said, and although, she had said it quietly, everyone directed their attention to her. This was actually the first time, she took the floor by herself.

"Some good, some bad. Sometimes, it say it's right, sometimes it's wrong."

De Souza blinked. "Are you saying, you make decisions based on gut feeling? Seal contracts, if it _feels_ right?"

Shalamorn frowned by her almost sneering tone. "Of course, we also have laws, but yes: we evaluate each situation in particular, and the outcome is also partly the result of the trust in our instinct."

"In women's instinct, of course."

Shalamorn had no smile left. "I have been patient," she said dangerously quiet. Jason shivered. He only knew Shalamorn as a warm and dedicated person, but the cold authority she was radiating right now, was frightening.

"I really try to understand your faith in your bureaucracy, in your sheets and sheets of paper with rules for every breath, a creature takes on this planet. I comprehend, your social structures today go back to a civilisation, built on a religion, which declared humans, especially men, as the summit of creation. You must have been shocked, even shattered, when you found out about us: an intelligent species, higher developed than you, able of space travelling, and yet still rather trusting in … _gut feeling_ , than in written laws." Shalamorn took a breath. "It must be that shock," she continued softly, "that makes you constantly attacking me, for I have been nothing but friendly and sincere with you."

"Really?" De Souza didn't even try to conceal her doubt. "Why are still here then? What is the true reason, you want to stay? Your presence on Earth will make things worse, and you are well aware of that! This encounter does not just include some diplomacy issues. You brought your intern conflicts into this, as well. Tell me, you don't want us to fight a war for you!"

"I don't," Shalamorn objected immediately. "I have absolutely no intention to get you involved in any conflict between my own people." She searched for eye contact with De Souza. "Senator, I told you the truth. What I want, is to pay my dues. I want to help the people of the Opal Planet, to repair the damage, one of my own has done to you."

De Souza opened her mouth again, but Rugeaux cut in. "This is clearly enough for one day." She gave De Souza a warning look. "I suggest, we all retreat and get some rest. We will continue this by tomorrow. If you're still interested in a joint dinner with _peaceful_ conversations, come back around 8."


	15. Chapter 15

"I gotta say, I like your Earth Cooking,"

Shalamorn admitted, and put the spoon next to her empty bowl of ice cream. "I especially enjoy your grain products. Bread, noodles and Pizza... All made of the same basic product, and yet the outcome is so different. We never put much creativity into the preparing o

f meals."

Diane smiled. "This is, were books came into good use," she explained. "My grandmother still used to write down her recipes into a book, my mother inherited."

"Very old-fashioned, but adorable," Xiung said. "My family loves to cook, but never wrote down anything. Many recipes used to be passed on from generation to generation by actual cooking. But that kind of traditions disappeared when the internet and digital networkings started to spread around the globe."

"How are these things connected?" Shalamorn wanted to know.

Sokolow shrugged. "Many posted their recipes, ideas and videos. Shared they knowledge in the world wide web, where others could

access it, and make it to good use."

"This is, why we have to main _tain this level of secr_ ecy," Xiung said. "Put only one little piece of information out there, and in seconds you find it in every corner of the planet."

"Children nowadays are obsessed with blogs, and social networking," Diane added.

"It's a curse, and a blessing at the same time."

"I can see, what you mean," Shalamorn answered. "Accessible information of any kind at every time at every place is indeed a gift for anyone, who seeks knowledge and wisdom. But it is also a danger, for it makes it easy for the more vicious to influence the innocent. To get organised in crime, and to put plans into action."

"Exactly," De Souza responded. "I'm all for transparency, but it's impossible to control the information flow. Of course, we have people in ag

encies around the world, who try to filter the flow for anything, that might be a threat. But cleverness is unfortunately spread among the good and the bad. By the time, a new secret code in Mafia circles is detected and decrypted, another one appears."

"Well, I heard, you managed to lower the rate of crimes down by 48% in just about three years," Shalamorn said.

De Souza shrugged. "That's only if you look at the numbers of Brazil only. The laws, I established, still take their time to be effective in all of South America."

"Ah, Katherina," Bricks nudged his shoulder against hers. "All modest and serious. Your achievements will last for decades. You should be proud of yourself! You earned a lot of respect."

Shalamorn smiled warmly at De Souza. "You certainly enjoy my respect.

It's been a while since I was last challenged to that extent. But this is how we learn, isn't it? By putting each other into question, and push our boundaries?"

"You have a point," De Souza agreed. "And I, too, love a productive discussion. My apologies for my aggressive behaviour. I really had no intention to appear this hostile."

"Apology accepted," Shalamorn said. "I admire your sense of justice. You were able to transform it into penal law, which is

fair and protective of the innocent."

"I did my best," De Souza responded. "But to be honest: sometimes I wish, I could go just by instinct, and throw some of those bastards _into_ a dark hole in the ground. Without taking them to the court, where cases are sometimes stuck for years in the system."

De Souza didn't exactly smile. But her expression right now could easily be interpreted as friendly.

"So," Umbajali interjected in a careful tone, "we are now allowed again to talk about pros and cons of bureaucracy? Because I really still have some questions about your way!"

Some of the other senators nodded, and Shalamorn chuckled. "What is it, you say on Earth? Ah yes, shoot right away!" She opened her arms to emphasise her words.

"How do you seal contracts?" Umbajali shot. "How can you make sure, the other side of the bargain is held?"

"Suspicion and mistrust are barely known among my people," Shalamorn said. "We feel connected, – not just by telepathy, – but also in our respect for every creature. To bring harm is against the wishes of the Ancient Ones, so to say, of our origin."

Sokolow frowned. "Isn't it a bit naive?"

Shalamorn gave him a friendly look. "You might think. But once we were not so different from you. We ripped our planet apart for resources. The oceans were almost emptied to a point where no recovery was possible. The air was thick with dust and toxine. War was raging, and corruption to be found on every corner."

"You make it sound even worse than our situation on Earth these days," Madame President deemed.

"It was worse," Shalamorn answered. "Or at least, this is how the historians make it look like. After all, it is ancient history. The technology was still primitive at this time. And stories passed on from generation to generation often change. They get to be amplified, sometimes twisted to serve a certain purpose."

"Tell me about it," Solokow smirked. "As a historian, I can tell you, sometimes you find three different version of an event, which are discussed for decades in our community."

"How did you manage to overcome your struggles?" Xiung wanted to know.

"Much is left to assumption," Shalamorn confessed. "But likely to one of your saviours, – Christ?" Common nodding encouraged her. "There were those who rose from the ashes and spread a message of love, kindness and respect. A message of responsibility of the strong and the wise towards the less unfortunate. It is the very foundation of our society. We had to change, or we would have wiped us out of existence by our own hands."

"Well," Ferrière said in a thoughtful tone, "this kind of change surely doesn't come overnight."

"Of course not," Shalamorn agreed. "This is why we came here almost twenty years ago. We watched your progress, observed your achievements and wars. Admired your creativity and your inventive spirit. But soon we also realised the destructive direction, you were heading at. That you were about to take the same path, which we once took."

"So you came to warn us?" De Souza assumed. "To prevent us from doing further damage to our ecology?"

Shalamorn nodded. "Yes. We hoped to establish a dialogue, in which we could share our knowledge and save your planet from infinitive destruction."

"You made it out," Xiung objected. "Maybe the geek in me is talking right now but wouldn't it be wiser to let us make our own mistakes?"

Shalamorn chuckled. "Indeed, we discussed this for over a decade before we come to the obvious conclusion." Her face changed to a more serious expression. "Earth is unique in the universe, as far as we know. Our knowledge is, of course, still limited. But your planet is home to so many species. It is rich, almost thick, with life. We fear the death of Earth will have consequences of interstellar extent. Too much is at stake."

Ferrière and Dikshit, the senators with the scientific background in biology, exchanged an agreeing smirk.

"If one ecosystem dies on Earth," Dikshit said slowly, "others along the food chain might die as well. Often the consequences can not be estimated to a full extent. From this point of view, I can only consent with your decision to interfere."

"Nature has the ability to adapt," De Souza argued. "Don't you think, it is slightly … arrogant, to force your opinion on us? We are well aware of our problems."

"And yet, you barely take action," Shalamorn shot back. "And how could you? You're too much in love with your bureaucracy and your money!"

De Souza's corner of the mouth crimped. "You are fast to judge, Your Majesty."

"So are you, Senator" Shalamorn responded calmly. "And yet, you know much less about us, than we know of you."

De Souza folded her arms, flashing annoyingly at the Queen. "So you took a few circles in orbit, and think, you know your way around?"

"Unfortunately, I got a lot of information first handed." Shalamorn took a breath and leant back in her seat. "You keep attacking me, put my morality into question. You felt offended by the idea of a matriarchy, offended by our ways and traditions. And yet, it is you, who cultivated a system, where marriages are solemnised and disbanded just by a handwritten signature on a simple sheet of paper. A system, in which children are left alone in foster homes. A system, in which you are even in need of laws, to make sure the breeder pays alimony."

Mera.

She hadn't talked about much about her former life, and surely she hadn't complained. After reunited with her sister, she had seemed happy and it had been easy to forget her past.

At least for Jason, but not for her mother. He could feel her anger and disappointment. It _must have_ been there for a while, just waiting to burst out.

He exchanged a look with Neri. He could tell by her face, she was thinking the same thing. He took her hand and squeezed it.

"Are you telling me, you don't have orphans on your planet?" De Souza asked shaking her head.

"Of course, we have. Especially, since the Red Virus," Shalamorn conceded. "But our children do only find a roof, they find a home. You don't even have to look for foster parents, for it's our duty to provide for them. The family is a holy good."

De Souza snorted. "You are the folk with a majority of arranged marriages, which means forcing two people together. And yet, you speak of a family? What if someone falls for someone else?"

"You're right," Shalamorn answered. She seemed calmer now, but Jason still felt her anger. "We don't know such a thing as a divorce. We still consider the commitment when entering a marriage as a lifelong endeavour, not just as temporary whim!"

"Yeah, like you give them any other choice," De Souza sneered, "and your husbands certainly never stray, do they?"

Obviously, a sore point.

"If you are referring to extramarital mating," Shalamorn said firmly, "it is not regarded as a betrayal."

"Oh, you're not telling me, you practice the concept of concubines?"

Shalamorn shook her head. "No, we don't. But mating is just a trivial physical urge, just like the need for food, water or oxygen," she explained. "Extramarital mating is a banality, compared to the commitment made to a spouse and the common children. You may have condemned sexuality as a feral impulse, due to your religious beliefs. But we have embraced that part of our physiology, for we all come from an evolutionary state, where surviving was depending on this very beastly instincts."

"My ex-husband must be one of yours then," De Souza concluded, as angry as Shalamorn now. Bricks had put a hand on her arm, but she shook him off. "He said exactly the same thing when I caught him cheating on me with my personal trainer."

"I'm sorry, your marriage didn't turn out right for you," Shalamorn said softly, and De Souza blinked surprised. "But you steer your anger in the wrong direction," she ran on. "You should not be blinded by your personal grudge!"

"I'm not the one who brought my whole family along, including my future son-in-law and his mother," De Souza responded heatedly. "Did you arrange this marriage as well, or did your daughter got to say at least something about it?"

Diane seemed to be angry now, as well. With an outraged expression, she opened her mouth, but Shalamorn kept on speaking.

"Under normal circumstances, I would have indeed searched for an appropriate spouse, but Neri is perfectly capable of making her own choices," she said proudly. "She never needed much help in her decisions, and especially not in the choice of her man!"

Jason felt himself blushing, for her tone had gained a very warm tone when she spoke of him.

"Jason has found my youngest daughter in one of your foster homes and brought her back to her sister. He protected my first-born with his life, and I will always be grateful for that. It is unfortunate, we don't have time to inform you about all the things, this remarkable man has also done for you and your planet, for all that matter. But be assured, Jason is everything, I would have wished for my daughter, and more!"

"I hope, they chose each other," De Souza said. "To me, they are still children. Not ready for any kind of lifelong commitment. Will you force them to stay together forever?"

During the argument, the pressure on his hand had grown with every word. Jason was getting annoyed himself by De Souza's words, but Neri's expression did cut him deeper. She had drawn her legs together. Her other arm was pressed to her side, her hand clenched in a fist. Blankly she stared at the table, not even noticing, that her nails pierced into her flesh.

"Will you cut it off already?" he interjected loudly and found himself at the centre of attention. "First of all, I would be very grateful, if you could keep Neri's and my relationship out of your dispu

te, as you should with any personal issues," he said as polite as he could, but it was hard to hide the anger out of his voice. "And second, this is totally inappropriate! You two screaming at each other is leading us nowhere."

"Agreed," Rugeaux said with an annoyed tone herself. "It seems, we have to cut this evening short."


	16. Chapter 16

"This woman is a challenge," Shalamorn exclaimed annoyed when the door of their suite was shut behind them. "She is twisting every word to turn it against me!"

"Yeah," Jason answered, almost just as annoyed. "But you weren't exactly helpful, either!"

Shalamorn paused in her pace to look at him. "I did not start this argument," she said in protest.

"But it was _me_ , who had to end it," Jason shot back. "What does that say about you, about De Souza, or any other senator in that room?"

"You're right," Shalamorn responded. "I have to restrain myself. I should have been more on control towards her hostile attacks."

"Yes, it was wrong for her to drag in her personal stuff," Jason conceded. "But what you experience as hostility, is actually just her way to express the resolutions, a lot of the other senators share as well."

"What are you talking about?"

"Can't you see?" Jason loosened his right hand from his hip, his left still stemmed against his waist. "They're walking on eggshells around you! De Souza is the only one to speak up her mind. The others just don't have the guts to do so."

"Are you saying, they are frightened of me?" This very idea obviously startled Shalamorn so much, her expression changed into actual dismay.

"Is that really such a surprise for you?" Diane asked, and Shalamorn turned to her. "Earth had just been under attack from one of your people!"

Shalamorn shook her head in denying. "I am not Malakat," she emphasised.

"But you're still in possession of highly advanced technology, and weapons above any kind of human imagination," Jason pointed out. "How they are supposed to know you won't use them against them?"

"I would never use any sort of violence against the people of the Opal Planet!"

"This is not, how it looks like," Diane objected. "You came here with a bunch of guards, all heavily armed. You think they did not identify the devices at their wrists? Don't you think, they might be at least a little intimidated?"

"I see," Shalamorn answered. "I shall send them home."

"The gesture would definitely be helpful," Jason agreed. "But that's just a drop in the bucket. Malakat spread terror and fear, ruining any chance for any friendly encounter. It will take years to rebuild trust."

"We don't have years," Shalamorn snapped and began to pace again.

Jason frowned and exchanged a look with his mother.

"What are you saying?" Diane asked.

Jason looked from Shalamorn to Neri, who suddenly avoided his gaze.

"What is it, you're not telling us?" Jason addressed Shalamorn, forcing her to look at him by his insisting tone.

Shalamorn took a step towards him. "As you know, we were able to clone the blood sample with the antibodies, you took from Charly. The Red Virus was erased in your oceans. But the waters on our planet a way bigger. There are still red clouds left, retreating only at a very slow rate. But the toxin remains. The damage has been done. Even with our highly advanced technology, it will take years to clear the oceans. Decades to make them habitable again, and even longer for any kind of fish stock to re-establish in a sufficient amount to provide enough food for my people."

A cold shudder ran down his spine, and his interior suddenly felt like being slowly crushed by an iron fist. Diane sat down on the coach, in shock and disbelief. When he looked at Neri, he found her not surprised, but with wet cheeks.

"Millions will die," Shalamorn continued. "Many children are put in stasis pods to save them from starving. But there are not enough stasis pods left for everyone. Also, they can not stay in there forever."

"Dear Heavens," Diane murmured. "I had no idea the situation is this desperate."

Another uncomfortable feeling began to stir inside of him, but he kept it down.

"So, you're not just here to make up for Malakats doing," Jason assumed. "You are in need of help yourself."

"Yes."

The dark notion was harder to ignore by the minute. "Just say it already," Jason called on Shalamorn.

"They urge me to negotiate the terms of a settlement on Earth. And I'm afraid, if I don't come up with a solution anytime soon, they will invade."

Diane exhaled audibly, but Jason didn't break the eye contact with the Queen, pinned her down with his stare.

"And it didn't occur to you to tell us about this sooner?" Jason wanted to know. The anger was getting stronger and started do replace the sympathy.

"I never thought, it would be so difficult to find common ground with your government," Shalamorn objected defensively. "They are stubborn and ignorant. And Senator De Souza ..."

"Was right about you lying!" His voice was shaking now with oppressed rage.

"What was I supposed to do?" Shalamorn exclaimed, now angry, too.

"You should have been honest with them," Jason cried back. "You had the chance to prove yourself better than Malakat, and yet, you take the same path with the same methods!"

"She was coming at me. There was no chance of her approval!"

"There are over 8 billion people living on Earth," Diane interfered. "Many of them afraid, angry and desperate, just as much as your people. If this is going public, and only one percent is standing up against you like De Souza, you will be faced with almost one hundred million people. If you're not even able to handle one of them, how will you ….?" She froze mid-sentenced, her eyes wide in horror when she met Shalamorn's sad gaze.

"This negotiation has to result in a positive conclusion," Shalamorn said quietly.

"Yeah, and you screwed it," Jason boiled it down. "There's no way you can plead your case now, without losing every bit of credibility."

The realisation hit him with unforeseen force. Until this moment, he hadn't thought there could be any escalation to his rage. But the solution, and the obvious calculation behind it, surely brought him to a pitch, never experienced before.

He growled loudly. Diane gave him an alarmed look. Neri flinched, but he was so furious, he ignored it.

"Great! This is just great!" He resented the urge to throw something.

Diane watched the both of them with a questioning expression. "What is going on?"

Shalamorn gave him a calm and sorrowful look. "Yes, Jason," she said, "I made a mistake and I need your help."

"Is this, why you buttered me up all the time?" He asked, infuriated. "With all your talk of family, how I am the perfect man for Neri? Fit to be your son-in-law?"

"I _do_ feel this way about you," Shalamorn assured him, but Jason shook his head in disbelief.

"Yeah? And still, you sent me in to take the bullet for you?"

"You will not use my son to claim asylum for your folk!" Diane jumped to her feet, after finally jumping to the right conclusion.

Jason ignored her and turned to Neri. "Did you know about this?"

Her silence was answer enough. His rage turned into cold disappointment.

"Jason," Neri tried, but Jason cut her off with a gesture of his hand, and turned to go.

Hurt. Anger. Betrayal. The feeling of being used and lied to.

He couldn't tell, which was worst. He entered his room, paced around, angrily wiping the tears from his face. It took him a while to realise, that Neri had followed him, now standing inside at the door. She watched him, frightened, while silent tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Did your mother sent you, to talk some sense into me?" he asked coolly.

She shook her head and took a careful step towards him. He backed away from her and she froze.

"Jason, please," she begged.

He turned away, his arms folding.

"I feel them," Neri said quietly behind his back. "Something say, it was not over. That people are still afraid and suffering."

"Then why didn't you tell me?"

"I thought, now Mother is here. And everything will be good. She will heal. Bring balance again."

He took a glance over his shoulder. Encouraged, she took another shy step towards him.

"I did not now about her plan," she ran on. "Jason, please! I did not know," she repeated. "But people die. Please!"

He loosened his arms, to rest his hands on his waist. Hesitating, he slowly turned to face her. His anger had dissolved. He hated to see her this hurt. Especially, because he wasn't entirely innocent this time.

"Politics is an ugly place," he murmured. Neri's expression gained a confused component.

"Just something, my mum said this morning," he explained. "She warned me about how politics can change people."

Neri remained silent, waiting.

"I don't want us to change," he confessed, and let his arms sink. "I hate, that this just turned me into a person, who hurt you."

This time, it was him, who took a careful step towards her. "I should have known, you would never lie to me." He stretched out his hand to cup her cheek. She snuggled into it, and he conquered the remaining distance between them, adding his other hand to cup all of her faces. She wrapped her arms around his waist, and he kissed her forehead.

"I'm sorry, I shouted at you," he whispered. She answered by clinging even closer to him.

"I'm angry with Mother, too" she admitted.

He held her in a tight embrace, stroking her hair. For a while, they just stood there, in the middle of the room, taking comfort in each other.

"But we can't be mad at her forever," Jason finally sighed. "She means well after all, even if we don't agree with her methods."

Neri retreated to look at him. "You will still do it?"

"Why such tone of surprise?" he smirked and nudged her nose with his. "Did I ever leave you alone?"

Her smile sent a warm flash through his body, erasing any traces of unease or annoyance for good.

"But maybe, we could postpone telling her until tomorrow?" he suggested with a mischief grin. "I would think, she deserves a sleepless night over this."


	17. Chapter 17

He had been right about De Souza, being an early-morning runner. Careful not to wake Neri, who had slept in his arms again, he had climbed out of bed. Luckily, he had brought some sportier clothes as well. So he had put on some sweatpants and had slipped into runners. Hidden by the entrance of the hotel, he had waited for De Souza to come out to get her exercise. He sent his mother a short message about his whereabouts, along with the appeal to only tell Neri. Then he fell into a run himself, following De Souza with some distance uphill into the woods.

He had expected her to be very fast. She was an highly-trained agent after all. Jason had done some training recently, but after a few minutes, he had to accept, there was no way to keep up with her. Nonetheless, he kept running.

Unfortunately, fate was merciless on him today. He arrived on a crossroad, out of breath. De Souza was nowhere to be seen. Swearing, he started to look around in hope to find a footprint or any trace on the wet ground, he could follow. Time was running out, so he decided to take the most difficult route: a small muddy-grounded path. What he knew about her, she loved to challenge others, and maybe herself as well.

With every step, he sank into the soft ground, which made it impossible for him to run, so he fell in a quick-paced jog. One foot getting stuck, ultimately put a stop on his enterprise. Frustrated, he rested his hands on his knees to catch his breath, when something hit him. Startled, he found himself lying on his back, a familiar face upon him, her knee close to his throat.

"Any reason, you keep stumbling after me like a three-legged kitten?"

His fruitless attempts to shove her knee away from his throat only raised an amused smile, and he gave up quickly.

"Can't you figure?" he asked.

"If Her Majesty wants to talk to me, she shouldn't send her human pet," De Souza replied and increased the pressure on his chest.

"She didn't send me," Jason assured in a constraint voice. "I'm here on my own account."

"Even, if I'd believe you, why should I listen to you?"

With one last attempt, focussing all the energy he had left into it, he finally managed to shove her from his chest. She got on her feet, smoothly as a cat. For someone reaching the end of her forties, she was in very good shape.

"Because, I'm gonna tell you the truth," he answered, while he sat up, resting his upper body on his elbows. "The whole story. Anything, you want to know."

"So, she _was_ lying?"

Not a question, but a finding.

"Yes," he confirmed and gave her a look. She had folded her arms across the chest, but her body was still in tension. Ready, to nail him to the ground again.

"Why me?" she asked suspiciously.

"Because you are the only one, who had the guts to question her," he answered. "Because you care more about the people on Earth than about what anyone could think of you."

The corners of her mouth crimped. Finally, she rolled her eyes, took an annoyed breath, and stretched out her hand. He took it, and she pulled him to his feet.

"From the top," she demanded. "Leave nothing out."

He nodded, and pointed to a big tree bole, lying on the ground. "You should sit down," he recommended. "This will take a while." De Souza didn't move.

"Mind, if I get my shoe?" he asked, and gave a nod with his head in direction of his trainer, still stuck in the mud.

She took another annoyed breath, but he took it as a "yes". While he freed his shoe, De Souza took out a phone.

"Isabelle? Reschedule everything till tomorrow. – No, I'm fine. … Just do it, please! – No," she said and gave him a look. "Don't tell anyone... – Just think of something… Thank you!"

She hung up, and watched him, putting on his shoe. "Alright, kid," she said. "You have my attention. You wanna tell me a story? Better make it a good one!"

* * *

After a while, he lost track of time, while reliving the past seven years.

Their first encounter. The Island. Charly. UBRI. The spacecraft.

The message, Neri's father had left for her.

The finding of Mera. The hunt for the synchronium. Kal.

The pyramid. PRAXIS. Malakat and Shersheba.

Jason flinched by the memory of Neri's death, but forced himself to ran on. De Souza listened with a blank expression. He couldn't tell if she believed him. Apart from some questions, she remained silent. At some point, she conjured forth a cereal bar which she broke into to equal pieces, offering him one of them.

The ankh. The Red Virus. Malakat's conspiracy. The invasion. Shalamorn.

It must have been way past midday. The sun was already sinking again when he finished talking. For a while, they sat in silence. Jason shifted around nervously on the tree bole. She stared into the woods in front of her, processing expressionless. He waited, feeling even more uncomfortable with every second.

Abruptly, she got on her feet. "Thank you," she said simply and turned to go.

"What?" He jumped off the tree bole. "That's it?" he asked bewilderedly.

She turned around to face him. "What do you expect from me? Applause? Compassion? My approval in an impossible choice?" Her voice became less calm with every word. "What do you want, Jason?"

It took him a moment to realise, he hadn't really thought about that. He slouched his shoulders. "I don't know," he admitted. "Perhaps, … a solution?"

De Souza snorted. "There is none. But you already know that. Look," she added gentler. "I get it. Shalamorn is not to blame for this situation. But that doesn't mean, I can consent with her way of dealing with things! I can't possibly approve with an alien invasion, and she is clearly forcing it on us!"

"She has as less of a choice as you have," Jason replied. "She has to prove herself a worthy leader. She has to show her people, that she is still able to provide for them."

"By overthrowing an entire planet? Drowning the inhabitants?"

"She would never do that," Jason objected. "But if she fails to establish good relations, and at least get the assurance, you _consider_ , – just consider! – to grant asylum for her people, they will take action. The closest thing we get to a chance is with Shalamorn in charge."

De Souza shook her head. "I can not consent. A vote for them is a vote against mankind. The people of planet Earth are my first priority!"

"I get it," Jason answered. "And I respect that. But this is your only chance to dictate the terms of the settlement. Shalamorn will fight to the end, hold the peace as long as she can."

"She can't fight on both fronts, and I'm afraid, neither can you." The look she gave him, was unexpectedly sympathetic and gentle. "Take my advice," she said sternly. "Take your princess, and get out of here. Go back to your island, raise some kids, – if you can, – and live your life apart."

Jason shook his head. "I can't do that. Neri will never back out, and I won't leave her alone. She is my life!"

De Souza sighed. "Yeah, I got that from your little story." She took him by the shoulders. "I do not doubt the depth of your feelings. But I think you're both far too young to understand the consequences of you being together. Neri is sweet and innocent. I can see that. But she is also delicate, and shy." She withdrew her hands. "On her planet, being compassionate and kind maybe suffices, but here, she's barely enough leadership material to deal with the actual situation. If you stay, the both of you are gonna be crushed, and I would hate so see that. You could as well just pin a target on both your backs!"

"You think, I don't know that?" Jason responded. "We both pledged our life to this mission."

De Souza opened her mouth to a reply but then changed her mind. She nodded in direction of the hotel and turned to go. "I can see why she chose you," she said.

"Shalamorn didn't choose me," Jason objected.

"I wasn't talking about Shalamorn!"

Jason felt himself slightly blushing, and followed De Souza back to the main road.

"I will talk to the President," she promised, when the hotel came in sight. "But when you plead your case, you're gonna be on your own."

Jason nodded. "Thank you."

Their eyes met. "I will still vote against it."

Jason gave her a friendly smile. "I know."

* * *

He had barely entered the suite when Neri threw herself into his arms. He responded instantly to the embrace, burying his face in her hair. "Hey beautiful," he murmured close to her ear. "I'm okay."

He looked up, still holding her, to see Shalamorn and his mother approaching from the other side of the room. Diane looked concerned, but Shalamorn seemed shaken to the bones.

"What happened?" she wanted to know. "The President cancelled today's meeting."

"I had a little talk with De Souza today," he replied. At first, he wanted to keep her in the dark, but he knew her concern was genuine. He was not a mean person, after all.

"You should come up with an excuse for tomorrow at some point. I'm gonna do it, but on my terms."

"Yes, of course," she agreed startled. "Jason," she began and took a step closer to him, "I am so sorry. And so glad, you're alright."

He gave her a nod, then turned to Neri, whom he still held in a close embrace. "I haven't eaten all day," he realised. "What do you think? We find something fancy to eat at in the city, you can take a swim in the bay? Afterwards, maybe some midnight ice skating?"

She broke into a radiant smile.


	18. Chapter 18

"You think, they will help us?" Neri asked after Jason had finished summarising his encounter with De Souza. They were halfway through their pizza in a nice little place near the harbour.

"Like De Souza said," Jason replied. "There is not much of a choice. They saw what one man did with an ancient piece of technology. Now, there are much more with even more advanced weapons."

"They would never hurt people of Earth," Neri assured.

"You have no idea, what people are capable of," Jason said gloomily, "especially, when the situation is desperate. You said you can feel it, too."

"Mother will find a way," she murmured bleakly, and Jason sighed.

"Neri, your mother already fights on too many fronts," he responded. "The whole situation is a task way too big for just one person to carry out. She needs your help. Yours and Meras."

"Mother does not need me," Neri objected quietly. "She is wise and beautiful. And she is so good in speak."

"Yeah, she is pretty smooth in talking, but she's not able to handle the situation just by buttering them up. Wait, – " Jason frowned, suddenly becoming aware of her strange tone. "Are you intimidated by her as well?" he asked carefully.

Neri answered by casting down her eyes. Suddenly, she seemed small and vulnerable.

Jason rose from his chair to sit down next to her on the bench. He took her hands into his, searching for eye contact. How come he didn't see this before? She had been very quiet since the return of the Queen, – quieter as usual. Talking to strangers was difficult for her. But she had always put her mission over her comfort zone in the past.

"Why do you doubt yourself all the sudden? You achieved so much," he ran on when she remained silent. "Just yesterday, your mother acknowledged that. We were in bad situations before, but we made it out."

"This feels different," Neri replied. "In past, in here, – " she pointed to her chest, "it say what to do. But now, so many stranger people. So much fear. I feel like I can not breathe," she explained. "I _must_ help. But I don't know what to do, Jason."

He put an arm around her. "Neri, this is a situation never faced before. The senators, the President, – even your mother! – they certainly feel as helpless as you right now. We are all overwhelmed. It will take some time to get used to this, and even more time to figure out what to do." He caressed her arm. "And you're not alone."

Neri finally broke into a smile, although a weak one. Slowly, a funny thought took shape in his mind.

"Jason?" Neri asked, observing his change of expression.

"I just thought, ..." he said and blinked. "You know, this is actually our first date!"

"Date?" she asked confused.

"Yes," he grinned. "A date. Like in dating someone. Meet with someone you really like. Go out for dinner, a movie or something."

"You come a lot to Island, and we eat."

"Yeah, but we did that as friends," Jason pointed out. "We never ate at a restaurant before. And now, we are …"

 _An item. A couple. Together. Partners. Girlfriend and boyfriend. Involved in a romantic relationship_.

Every definition cast a strange echo in his mind. None of it really fitted.

"…more than friends," he finished the sentence.

She took his hand, smiling. "And what we do at a date?"

"Well, usually people talk, get to know each other, and stuff." Not, that he had much dating experience.

She frowned in confusion. "But I know you for seven years," she smirked.

"And I have been in love with you for at least five of them," Jason confessed, slightly blushing. Her response was a startled look out of big eyes. "See," he grinned, "that's something, you didn't know about me."

Her smile vanished. "Why never tell?" she wanted to know.

Jason shrugged. "Because I didn't know if you felt the same way. And I didn't want to ruin things. After all, it was pretty perfect. We had so much fun together. Helping you with your stuff made me feel like you needed me. And we had to keep you as a secret, so no one could take you away from me. Apart from Kal, of course," he remembered gloomily. "He was the only real competition."

"Kal?" Neri chuckled. "He was a little boy inside."

"Yeah, but he was one of your people," he replied. "And he really liked you."

"You were jealous? Of Kal?" Neri asked in disbelief.

Jason nodded, and Neri broke into laughter. "What?" he asked, but she kept laughing.

"Kal was jealous of _you_ ," she finally said, still grinning.

"Yeah? I thought, he just didn't like me," Jason responded. "But now I understand why he acted out against me all the time."

Neri cupped his cheek with her right hand and placed an unexpected and soft kiss on his lips. "It was always you," she whispered. "No competition."

"Likewise," he murmured, then taking her face into both his hands to kiss her again. This kiss was less soft and more passionate. Picking on her bottom lip, he inhaled her scent.

"People kiss on a date?" she asked quietly when they broke the kiss.

He nodded. "People kiss a lot on dates," he answered. "But maybe, we should go somewhere more private."


	19. Chapter 19

"Wow," Brett said out of the screen. "Now I'm suddenly glad, I'm not there with you. Sounds intense!"

"Told you, this wasn't gonna be a picnic," Jason responded, sitting on the coach, the tablet on the table in front of him.

"Are you nervous?" Brett asked. "You know, about tomorrow?"

Jason shook his head. "No, I know what I have to do. I'm gonna go with honesty like with De Souza, – for the main part, at least."

"What do you mean?"

"I have to make it sound like the plead is actually coming from me. As though, they would never ask for asylum for themselves," Jason explained. "If they'd get to know the mistake Shalamorn made, she will loose any credibility. The challenge is, therefore to tell the story without undermining her authority by putting her leadership abilities into question."

"The way you told the story, it seems, she did that already by herself," Brett shrugged. "Wow, I thought she is that big leader. And now it turns out, she is just like everybody else."

Jason shook his head. "It's more complicated," he argued. "But she underestimated the senators, and their reservations. And even worse: she not just managed to get into a fight with any senator but the one with the most integrity of the Global Union Senate."

"You are still mad at her, aren't you, Jase?"

"I don't know," Jason sighed. "Rather mostly disappointed, I guess. They claim to observe mankind for centuries, even millennia. They should know better. And now, I'm more involved in politics that I ever intended to be. I mean, I knew I had to be some sort of shield for Neri against the rest of the world, and I was fine with that. But if Shalamorn expects me to do so for the rest of her people as well, the least she owes me is the truth. By keeping important information from me, she takes away my credibility as well."

Brett nodded. "I never thought she would do something like this. But Mera didn't tell me either, that the situation on the Ocean Planet is still that bad. I thought, with Malakat gone, things would just …" He sighed. "Man, that sucks!"

For a moment, they remained silent, lost in thought.

"De Souza said the same thing as you," Jason finally ran on. "About Neri being too delicate to handle things as a leader."

"Oh man," Brett murmured afflicted. "Jase, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to … It's not that I don't believe in her," he assured his brother.

Jason nodded. "I know. It's okay. The truth is, you were right," he admitted. "Neri is … paralysed. The amount of pressure on her is too much for her to deal with. And her mother is casting this huge shadow of authority. She feels like she's not fit to hold a candle to Shalamorn."

"But shouldn't have the last days proven her wrong?" Brett frowned.

Jason shrugged. "Shalamorn is still a great leader. She's not perfect, but she's our best shot. She was adored at the Ocean Planet before Malakat spread his lies. Following in her footsteps is already a big task by its own, not to mention solving an interstellar conflict."

"But she's not alone, is she?" Brett objected. "And certainly, Shalamorn had to start at some point, as well."

"This is what I told Neri, too" Jason replied. "We all need some time to grow into it."

A soft knock on the door drew his attention away from Brett.

"Yeah?" he exclaimed.

Neri entered his room, already in her pyjamas. "Hello Brett," she said smiling at him when she came nearer.

He winked. "Hi, Neri. Nice to see you! Wanna say goodnight to Jason?"

Neri shook her head, looking slightly confused. "I sleep here. With Jason."

The strange grin on Brett's face was not to Jason's liking. When he shot a glance at Neri, she had already turned away and stepped onto the balcony.

Brett lifted one eyebrow. "Does Mum know about this?"

"Stop it, okay?" Jason said annoyed and rolled his eyes. "Yes, she knows. And second, this is not what it looks like."

Brett made a defensive gesture. "Jase, I'm the least one to judge. It took you both long enough to finally become official. If you're going for the naughty, that's fine for me. Just spare me the Details!"

"What is _going for the naughty_?" Neri asked, and Jason flinched when she appeared right next to him.

"Nothing," he said quickly. "Well, I see ya at home, Brett."

"Sure," Brett smirked. "Bye Neri!"

Jason turned the tablet off and rose from the coach. Neri gave him a questioning look.

"Forget it," he said and took her hands. "He was just making fun of me. You feel better?"

Neri nodded. "You were right. I have to be brave for my people."

"And you will," Jason replied. "But now enough of it. We had such a nice evening. I don't wanna ruin it by going right back into stuff."

"Yes, beautiful … date," she smiled. "Ice skating was fun."

Jason grinned. "Yeah, especially the part, where I fell on my back."

"And I fell on you," she chuckled. Then she suddenly looked concerned. "You are hurt?"

"Na," Jason grinned. "I mean, yeah. I guess I got myself some bruises, but … " He put his hands on her waist and pulled her closer. "It was much better when you kissed me."

Neri laughed. "Yes, I have gift of healing."

"Yes, you have. And you know what?"

She tilted her head to one side, waiting.

"I think, I feel a little pain right now," Jason claimed. "I could use some healing."

She broke into a bright smile and wrapped her arms around his neck. Smirking, she put a sweet kiss on his lips. "Better?" she asked.

"Hm," he murmured. "A little bit. Maybe you should try again," he added in a wolfish tone.

She was a fast learner.

There was nothing sweet, or soft about the way she ran her lips over his. Soon, she opened his mouth, brushing her tongue against his. He took charge, pushed her tongue back into her mouth, swirling around at the tip of her tongue. Her pace quickened, and instinctively, he pulled her closer. She ran her fingers through his hair, while they were fighting for dominance. Her quiet sigh sounded almost delicious to him. Their heavy breath mingled.

This was so hot.

He wanted to touch her, let his fingers slip under her pyjama to stroke the soft skin of her back. Let his fingers wander up to the rounding of her breasts. Would she make the same noise again if he touched them?

Suddenly, he realised that he was about to make the first step of his thoughts.

Too hot.

Gently, he retreated and took a deep breath.

"I feel much better now," he whispered and cleared his throat. "Why don't you go to bed and I join you in a minute?"

"Did I do it wrong?" Neri asked him with big eyes.

He shook his head. "No, no! I just forgot to take a shower." He gave her another little kiss. "You are perfect in this," he assured her.

"Ok," she replied, and he turned to go.

The hot water running down his skin felt smoothing but unfortunately not relaxing enough. He kept down his breathing, instantly hoping she wouldn't hear him, while he took care of himself. The memory of her warm body against his was still fresh. Shivers ran down his spine. In every cell, he could still feel the passionate touch of their tongues.

It didn't take him long. Quickly, he reached for a towel. He bit into it, when he came, suppressing his mourn.

He gave himself a few seconds to recover, resting his head against the glass door, before he stepped out of the shower.

Neri, already in bed, sat up looking eager when he left the bathroom. He smiled and crawled in next to her.

It didn't bother him at all when she cuddled up against his him, straddling him with one leg. He was too groggy and relaxed. Maybe, he should start with _that_ every evening.

He wrapped his arms around her, burying his nose in her hair, and placed another loving kiss on her head. In tight embrace, he quickly fell asleep.


	20. Chapter 20

"And this is, how we remained," Shalamorn finished her report. "Over the next few weeks, all of us will have to do some inventory of our remaining resources, and discuss the requirements for a settlement."

The throne room of the pyramid was unusually stuffed with people. All the guards and serving personnel had gathered around the royal family to get the news, they had brought from Vancouver. Jason's father was also there, – and Brett, of course.

Six members of Shalamorn's council back on the Ocean Planet looked down to them from the triangular screen hanging in the air.

With respect to the humans in the room, Shalamorn had insisted on reporting in English. Jason could tell, the council members weren't very happy about this decision. Some of them barely spoke English, even though they understood most of it.

"They expect us to wait for another couple of weeks?" one of the female council members asked with a sour expression.

"Yes," Shalamorn replied. "We have to be patient, Councillor Chianba. It is very much, we demand from Earth People. To grant asylum is not a decision, the senators can make on their own. They intend to involve the civil population. But going public needs preparation."

"And _we_ need nourishment, and a clean ocean to swim in for our children," another advisor, bold but with a heavy grey beard, exclaimed, while his colleagues nodded in agreement. "Couldn't they at least consent with our necessity to send some of them?"

"I'm afraid, they already feel threatened by the Ocean People already inhabiting the pyramid," Shalamorn said. "I was informed that our presence on their planet had an intimidating effect."

She didn't look at him but Jason felt some other pairs of eyes on him throughout the room.

"And our advanced technology makes it even harder to build up good relations," she ran on. "If we want to gain their trust, we first have to respect their decision."

"The people of the Opal Planet are of a destructive nature," Councillor Chianba argued. "So are their decisions. Getting more of they precious currency is all they care about."

"May I remind you, we were the same once?" Shalamorn answered calmly.

The council members didn't like to be remembered, obviously.

The bold councillor snorted. "Ancient history. If we would take over them, we would make wise decisions for both our people. They are just primitive apes compared to us."

"Unfortunately," Jason said aloud, and heads turned to him in surprise, "it seems your survival is depending on the primitive apes."

"You may attend, but you may not speak, boy" Chianba snubbed him. "Only people of royal blood and council members are allowed to speak here."

"Honoured members of the council," an unexpected voice rose from the crowd, and Shersheba stepped forward. "I am of royal blood, and I have the right to speak." When one of the councillors opened his mouth, she just cut him off with a gesture of her arm and ran on. "I will switch into the native tongue, to make sure you understand what I have to say: …."

The few sentenced of hers sent a wave of shock through the room. Some of the council members began to yell with outrage. Neri flinched, while Mera quickly inhaled. In contrary to the others, Jason spied a trace of amusement on Mera's face.

"What did she say?" he asked her in a whisper.

She broke into a grin. "You want the exact wording or the tame recap?" She grinned wider at his startled look. "Well, Shersheba told them, that it was _that_ primitive ape, who came up with the solution to the Red Virus. She called them names, also arrogant and stubborn. And that you … _saved their asses_ " – she smirked, – "again in Vancouver."

"Wow, Jase," Brett, who stood behind Mera, murmured. "Seems, you got yourself a fan."

Jason gave Shersheba a look and their eyes met. Neri drew his attention away by taking his hand.

"Enough," Shalamorn exclaimed and the angry voices died down.

"Why is that person still allowed to call herself _princess_?" one of the councillors asked.

"I already explained my reasons for pardoning her," Shalamorn responded. "She fell for Malakat's lies, as did so many of us. But she realised her mistake in time and pried the cure to the Red Virus away from his hands. She could have kept me in stasis, but instead, she decided to help me to reclaim my throne. She regrets her actions, and I will not deny mercy to someone who asks for it."

"Honoured members of the council," Shersheba interjected. "I apologise for my harsh words. I understand they were inappropriate. But listening to you is like listening to Malakat. _Primitive. Destructive. Hostile_. These were the words he used. Jason Bates made me see the truth. As you, I was guided by fear. Jason" – she shot him a glance, – "is one of the views in this room untouched by his arrogance, and unspoilt by his ideas. In the final attempt to stop Malakat's doing, he was ready to die alongside the princess. He deserves not just to speak, but also to be heard."

The room was in thoughtful silence. No one had expected her to speak out, especially for a human. People were looking from Shersheba to him, back to Shersheba and then to the floating image above them.

Except for his parents. Unbelieving, they stared at him, and it suddenly hit him, that he had never actually told them their real plans back then. They had only known, that Neri had wanted to go into the pyramid for a last attempt to stop Malakat. That this plan had involved suicide … Well, some things would have better stayed a secret.

Obviously, for the council members, these were hardly news. Throughout Shersheba's speech, the crimping of their noses and mouth's corners in disagreement had slowly changed into recognition. They exchanged looks, then turned to face them again.

"Alright then," Chianba addressed Jason. "Speak."

His heart was beating frantically in his chest, but his voice sounded calm. Talking to authorities seemed to become a habit recently.

"Our weapons are not as advanced as yours, of course," he started. "But nevertheless, they cause massive damage. If you try to invade, force your settlement upon the people on Earth, they will fight back. They will fire at you with everything they got. And, when the dust is finally cleared away, there will be no planet left, where you can immigrate to. Are you really ready to take that risk?"

Chianba exchanged another glance with her colleagues. A silent communication took place. In sync, they rose from their chairs.

"We will start with the inventory right away," the bold councillor said, but his tone still told of a certain doubt. They won, - for the moment, at least.

"Your Majesty. Your Royal Highnesses." They bowed in direction of the Queen, Neri, Mera and Shersheba, although this last bow was not as deep as towards the others. After a second of hesitation, the councillor implied a bow with a nod in Jason's direction. To his surprise, the other members of the council followed his lead. Then the image was turned off, and the crowd thinned out, as the guards and the serving personnel returned to their duties.

"I don't understand, why things are still this bad," Brett said. "The synchronium is supposed to heal the oceans, isn't it? Why can't you just use it again?"

"Unfortunately, the synchronium is a one-shot," Mera explained. "When the Red Virus appeared, people got angry. They blamed the council because they sent it to Earth. They said, using it on Earth was a terrible waste because sooner or later, people of Earth would start polluting the oceans again."

"Well, it can be used more than once actually," Shalamorn corrected. "But it has to get charged."

"Charged with what?" Jason wanted to know.

"By the touch of the Chosen Ones. People in possession of the Gift."

"But you have the Gift," Brett argued. "And it worked with only Neri, Mera and Charly. Now there are the four of you!"

"The synchronium does require far more than just the thoughts of few individuals," Shalamorn responded. "It was already charged when it was sent to Earth. For centuries, it has been passed on from generation to generation, touched by my mother, my mother's mother, and so on. It was Charly, who gave the missing drop, and enabled my daughters to get it to work."

"Oh," Brett acknowledged bleakly.

"Is it true?" Diane stepped forward. Her voice was shaky, her eyes filled with tears. It was unnecessary to ask her what she was referring to.

Jason sighed. "Yes, Mum. It's true."

His father stood silently next to her. Jason still read shock in his face, but also comprehension dawning. Paul put a hand on Diane's shoulder, but she shook it off.

"You were ready to die?"

"We figured, the only way to stop Malakat, was to destroy the pyramid," he explained.

"By blowing yourself up with it?"

Jason nodded. Diane looked from Jason to Neri. "And you would have let him?" she asked unbelievingly.

"It was _my_ decision, Mum," Jason objected her accusation.

She ignored Jason's interjection and took another step towards Neri, who's eyes were now also glittering with tears.

"Mother," she whispered.

"You would have taken my son to death?" Diane asked her again, her whole body shaking. Neri flinched, as though Diane had hit her.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "Mother, please!"

Diane took Neri's face into her hands. "I love you," she said. "But I can't forgive you for taking my son away from me. If you truly loved him, you would never have let him go with you."

Abruptly, she retreated and turned away from Neri. "Mother," Neri whispered again, while tears ran silently down her cheeks.

Diane looked around "You all knew about that?" Her voice was thick of sorrow, disappointment and anger. This was no question, but a finding. She gave Shalamorn a furious look. "And you used my son as a shield, made a target out of him!"

"Diane," Paul murmured, touching her by her arm.

"Mum," Jason said sharply. "Stop it! It was _my_ decision, _my_ choice!"

Diane wildly shook her head. "No, you're just saying that, because you don't know any better. You have been tricked into this."

"I'm not a child, Mum. I know, when I am manipulated."

She ignored him. "I will not let you use him for you own purposes. We're done here!" She took Jason by the arm and dragged him with her a few steps before he freed himself.

"Dammit, Mum! Stop it already!"

She stared at him, slouching. "So, this is what you want?" she whispered.

Jason took a step back and nodded. "I'm sorry, Mum. But if you force this choice on me, you already know my answer. I'm staying. It's the right place for me to be."

"And now," Diane replied bleakly, "it's also the only place."

They all stared at her. Paul cleared his throat. "Diane, you're not seriously ..."

"I can't," Diane cut him off, "and I won't watch you getting crushed." She turned around to get to the transport device which would open the tunnel to the cave in the outback, where an ORCA chopper was waiting for them. "Don't bother coming to ORCA again. Brett will catch your things and bring them to you."

She pulled the trigger and Paul followed her on her feet. They vanished in a blue cloud.

Brett moved forward. "Jase," he murmured. "I'll talk to her."

Jason shook his head. "It's pointless."

Brett turned to Neri, who was shaking now. "Mum's gonna come around," he promised. "Just give it a little time."

"Brett," Jason tipped him off. "Just let it go."

With a helpless shrug, Brett pushed the button and disappeared as well.

Jason finally turned around to Neri, but when he wanted to touch her, she flinched away from him. Startled, he dropped his arms.

"Mother says right," she sobbed. "I should never let you go with me."

"Don't you dare," he said in such a warning tone, that she forgot to cry and looked up. He cupped her face with his hands, stroking with the thumbs over her cheeks. "Don't you dare," he repeated. "I chose to come with you because it was the right thing to do. So, you better stop right now to blame yourself with aspersions. Don't you take this away from me! Don't you dare!"

She took a breathe, and nodded. Then she conquered the few inches of space between them, to bury her face in his chest, wrapping her arms around his waist. He stroked her hair and held her in close embrace.

Mera's face read shock. She sat down on the stairs, her eyes also swimming in tears.

"Jason," Shalamorn started, but he cut her off with a sharp look.

"Not now, Shalamorn."

She nodded with a helpless expression.


	21. Chapter 21

The next few days passed by in a blur. Now and then, it felt like a bad dream to him. Like a bad scene in a terrible movie. Or like it didn't actually happen to him but to someone else.

It was Neri's misery that reminded him that this nightmare was real. His mother had broke with them. His interior felt heavy. Just now, he realised how much he had relied on her to be around.

Of course, they had never actually asked for her help in the past adventures. When they had freed Charly, found Mera, retrieved the synchronium,... Diane had always been one of the last to know. But she also had been there. And now, he was too busy to comfort Neri in her pain to be able to grief himself.

Most of the time, they spent in Neri's room. Either in bed, where she buried her face in his chest or sitting in a corner in close embrace.

They barely spoke.

If the circumstances were different, he maybe would have enjoyed her needy behaviour. But now, it began to annoy him. It was _his_ mother, after all, and she had not only broken with Neri but also with him. Neri still had her mother around.

With this thoughts, a wave of guilt rushed through him and made him feel even worse. For the most time of Neri's life, though Diane had been the only mother, she knew.

When Neri had fallen asleep at the third evening after Diane's leaving (his watch was the only thing that made him keep up with the change of day and night), he carefully climbed out of bed to finally give in to his need for some fresh air, and some time alone to process.

Apart from some guards, the floors of the pyramid were empty. When he arrived at the entrance pool room, he was suddenly reminded, he had no minifin and no diving equipment. He was used to living underwater, but at ORCA, he just had to take the lift for some real fresh air.

He was no claustrophobic kind of guy but he certainly felt trapped. And he didn't felt like outback air, either.

He crouched down at the pool. The water moving and glittering, casting flickering reflections of light against the walls had a smoothing effect. He dipped his hand into the cool water.

The sound of bare footsteps approaching, made him look up. "Hey beautiful," he said quietly and rose. "I didn't want to wake you."

"Hey, handsome!"

It wasn't Neri.

"Shersheba," he identified her.

"Yes, just me," she replied apologetically and smiled. "I know your affectionate reception wasn't meant for me but nevertheless, I take the beautiful."

Her smile crumbled when he denied her an answer right away. Her face went serious. "I just wanted to go for a swim," she explained. "I didn't intend to disturb you."

"No, it's fine," he said, when she turned to go, her long rope swiping on the floor. "At least, one of us gets to get out of here for a while."

"Jason," she began, and the vulnerability in her tone made him look at her. She took a few steps and froze at the other side of the pool across from him. "I am so sorry about what happened with your mother," she told him. "I had no idea it was a secret."

Jason shrugged. "It's not your fault, Shersheba," he assured her honestly. "You were actually great at that council meeting. It was brave, the way you stepped in for me."

"Coming from you," she replied, "that means a lot me. But I didn't do it just for you."

Jason nodded. "Yeah, I figured. Your reproach was pretty tough. I thought they were elected to this new council because they never supported Malakat."

"Not officially," Shersheba acknowledged. "Some of them even rejected his ideas in public."

"Sounds like, you doubt their integrity."

Shersheba sighed. "It is certainly not my place to call anyone a hypocrite," she said with a hint of annoyance. "But they call me a traitor. Refer to me as _that person_." The anger in her voice was now audible. "I know, I did bad things. I made mistakes out of bad judgement. But they use _his_ words and spread _his_ version of Earth among the people. And they dare to look down at me!"

"You think, they followed him after all? In secret?" Jason asked, ignoring the complaint about losing her reputation and status.

Shersheba shook her head vehemently. "No, at least not consciously," she stated. "But many people have been listening to him for too long. Malakat's maybe gone, but his ideas linger."

"Circumstances are rough," Jason argued, resting his hands on his hips. "Going through difficult times changes people."

"Not our people. Not like this," Shersheba objected.

She took a few steps, starting to circuit the pool to his left. "Can you imagine a world, filled with people who are very much like Neri?" she asked. "Almost ridiculously compassionate? Kind, and sweet to an almost sickening grade? Trusting, and believing in good fortune?"

She froze at the corner of the pool next to a column and pointed in the direction to the throne room behind her. "Look at the Queen," she asked him. "Choosing such an idealistic and naive person as their leader requires an even more naive folk. You can say many bad things about Malakat. But he is a strong leader. Charismatic, radiating with trustworthiness."

Her expression was suddenly gentle while reminiscing, her voice warm. It took her a second to wake up again.

"He had years and years to feed our fears," she spoke on, all traces of admiration erased from her face and voice, "encouraging the people in their anger towards the government by using every little misjudgement of the council. He did it right under Shalamorn's nose. You see, why people lose faith in her?"

"Yeah, I get the picture," Jason replied. "Are you saying, you're the better choice as a leader?"

Shersheba blankly stared at him for a moment, and he regretted his harsh tone. She seemed genuinely surprised.

She shook her head. "No," she said firmly and came closer. "I'm saying Shalamorn needs to show herself to her people. Since her return, she only spoke to them over the communicator. She has to be attendant in person, – at least, for a while. To show her people, that she still cares for their needs. That she is still their Queen."

"Did you tell her this?"

She snorted. "She doesn't listen to me."

An only too well know feeling began to stir in him.

"Let me guess," he said angrily. "You want me to talk to her. Did we really meet here by coincidence?"

He didn't wait for her answer and turned to go right away.

"Self-pity doesn't suit you, Jason."

He froze, then slowly turned around again to face her. "What?" he asked startled.

"Please. Shalamorn's report was detailed and honest," Shersheba replied. "But while people watched her talking, I watched you reacting. You still feel like being used, and –" she took another step, now standing in front of him, "you're right. But like you told your mother two days ago: you chose this path on your own. So, if you stopped feeling sorry for yourself for just one minute, you would actually realise that the reason, why people keep choosing you as an intermediary, is not because they want to use you as a shield, but because they appreciate your ability to see both sides of the story."

It took him a second to process, he had just got lectured by Shersheba.

"So," he began, "you think, Shalamorn should do the inventory herself? Look over the councillor's shoulders? Spend some time with her folks?"

Shalamorn had retreated one step, her smile all friendly again as though the lecturing hadn't happened at all.

"Not just Shalamorn," she nodded. "The princesses as well. And you, of course."

"Me?"

"Shalamorn broke Neri's engagement off. Those, who know about you, are curious about the human the princess chose for herself."

Jason frowned. "So, she was promised? She never told me."

Shersheba shrugged. "I guess, she didn't know of that engagement herself. The guy was not suitable, anyway. No more than a boy in spirit. He almost gave the synchronium to a human scientist."

"Kal?" Jason exclaimed.

She chuckled. "Yes, I heard, you met. And if you ask me," she added. "To let Neri keep you as her man was definitely the right choice."

He felt himself slightly blushing by the look she gave him. He hated himself for feeling flattered by her compliment but she could be admittedly charming if she wanted to. But her honesty deserved at least a friendly smile despite whatever she was trying to gain from her flirting.

"So," he replied. "Any more requests? Anything, I should know?"

"None, I can think of right now," she answered.

"Don't you want to go home, too?"

She frowned, thinking about his suggestion. "I don't know," she confessed. "I feel homesick, but they call me traitor on both planets. At least, on Earth, I have a clean ocean to swim in. I guess I will do whatever the Queen demands of me."

"I'll talk to her in the morning," Jason promised.

"Thank you," she said with a genuine smile.

"Isn't there a clean ocean waiting for you?" He nodded down to the pool.

She broke into a grin and took her robe off. Something about the way, she let it slip to the ground made him blush again. She positioned at the pool and was just about to jump into the water.

"Shersheba?"

She froze in the move, looking at him with a questioning look.

"Thank you," he said. "For … kicking my ass."

She chuckled. "Anytime, handsome." Then she jumped into the pool.

Smirking, he turned to go, when Mera appeared in the pool room.

"What was that all about?" she wanted to know.

He shrugged. "You'll see tomorrow."

He passed her, and she took him by his arm.

"Be careful with Shersheba," Mera told him intensely. "You never know, where you stand with her."

"Well, actually," he responded. "I get that feeling from a lot of people around her. So, please forgive me, if I rather judge for myself."

She withdrew her hand. "I didn't want to upset you," she assured him bleakly. "I'm sorry."

He took a breath, feeling guilty again for acting out. "No, I'm the one who should apologise, Mera. I shouldn't have bluffed at you."

Mera gave him a smile. "It's fine. I understand."

He gestured to the entrance. "Well, I go back to Neri, then."

When he left the room, he felt her glance on his back.

Straightening him up had been long overdue, Jason realised on his way back to Neri's chamber.

Shersheba had been right. In the last couple of days, since their return from Vancouver, he had been moody, easily annoyed. Everything had felt like a burden, – even Neri.

Now, with a task ahead, he suddenly felt relieved and confident. Now, he could focus on the real problems again.

Neri stood in the middle of the room when he entered. Without a word, he conquered the distance between them with just a few steps and pulled her into a hug. He caressed her back and buried his face in her hair. She hugged back, her arms wrapped around his waist.

"I'm sorry," he murmured. "You already have to deal with so much negativity, and now you had to deal with my self-pity, as well. I was selfish."

Her arms tightened around him, wandering up his back. Her whole body was now pressed against his, and he inhaled her scent, smiling.

This was, how it was supposed to feel like.


	22. Chapter 22

They had provided Jason with some clothes, for Brett hadn't shown up yet. He had left a short message on Jason's phone that, now being a cadet, kept him very busy. Also, he had no licence for driving the minifin yet. Paul and Winston were walking on eggshells around Diane, so it was difficult to get someone who would take him to the Pyramid, either by minifin or chopper to get to the Cave of Light.

The soft white textile felt strange on him. He couldn't wait to slip in his jeans again. But for now, he had to focus on other stuff anyway. While sleeping a lot in the last few days to get through the grief, he was now suddenly much more awake and motivated. With his new purpose in mind, he got up early again to catch Shalamorn alone in the throne room.

The Queen was watching Earth News on her triangular screen which told of the founding of ammonia traces in Californian waters. The thermohaline circulation had re-stabilised with the temperatures going down. But the scientists had still no explanation for the red algae appearing and vanishing at the north-eastern Australian waters.

" _... I mean, yes_ ," a Yale Professor just said, " _the Global Warming started the melting of the Ice Caps years ago, but we still don't know, how the sudden rise in the ocean temperatures is connected to it. Also, it is very strange, that those two phenomena happened and stopped around the same time."_

" _While scientists and politicians are still searching for answers,"_ the female reporter's voice said from the off, _"Greenpeace media spokesman Daniel Hunter declared war against the oil industry in yesterday's press conference in Miami."_

A handsome black bold man in his forties with a moustache was shown on a speaker's desk, constantly hit by flashlights.

" _Now it became true,"_ he stated, _"what people kept saying for decades now: Mother Nature has had enough! I'm sure, what we experienced in the last few weeks, was a clear warning shot. We have to double our efforts on renewable energies, and we have to stop relying on fossil fuels. We can not afford another raising of the emission concentration in the atmosphere. Mother Nature has had enough!"_

" _Hunter's statement rose much approval,"_ the female reporter ran on, _"Greenpeace and other green organisations won over 250,000 members throughout the last two weeks. All around the globe, politicians are under high pressure to establish stricter rules to protect the environment, especially in the widely discussed emissions trading. However, voices of the oil and car producing industry are warning to make rash decisions."_

" _Many people lost their jobs in the crisis,"_ a man in a suit with the big yellow sign of _Shell_ in the background said. _"But we promised we would take care of our employees. And as long, as they can't prove that there's a connection between our products and the recent events, we will keep drilling!"_

Jason snorted, and Shalamorn turned her head. "This is, what you warned us about," she assumed and turned off the device.

"Yeah," he replied. "It will be a veritable feast for the oil companies when you go public."

Shalamorn sighed and sat down on the steps. If there had been any feelings of anger left in him they were gone now for good. The family resemblance was undeniable. The way Shalamorn rested her hands in her lap, her back straight up, staring onto the floor, was so alike Neri when faced with a serious problem.

"No matter, how I twist and turn it," Shalamorn started gloomily, "no matter, which variables I leave out or take in. No matter, how many times I run the scenarios in head – it seems, there is just no solution."

"Depends," Jason replied, his hands resting on his hips.

"On what?" she wanted to know.

"On your expectations, and your readiness to lower your standards," he responded. "You are still trying to find the perfect way out of the chaos. But you should know by now, that there is no such a thing as a perfect solution. You will always find people opposing you."

He sat down on the steps across from her, bent forward, his elbows resting on his knees. "I know, your ancestors imagined relations with Earth People like sort of a friendly student exchange programme. But Malakat's actions threw their plans back decades, maybe even generations. We're walking on the edge of a knife, so instead of running unrealistic scenarios, you should better focus on the tangible problems right now. "

Shalamorn gave him a thoughtful, and almost sad look. "You're are still young in years but already you fought so many battles on behalf of my people. Your youth, as well as those of my daughters have been taken away by the mistakes my people made, – the mistakes _I_ made! I should have learned by now, but I keep stumbling. Talking to you feels like the only thing, that keeps me from falling. And what does that say about me or my leadership skills? Malakat was right about me being an idealistic fool."

Jason didn't feel like a pep talk. There was not much he could say against her self-awareness, anyway. The compliment left him cold.

"Why do you think, he didn't kill you for real?" he asked instead.

Shalamorn rose and walked a few steps towards the statue. "Malakat was a vain man," she explained. "Sometimes he woke me up, just to gloat over his achievements. How he made my folks believe, I was dead, infecting them with his wicked philosophy. He loved to swagger about how adopting this stupid girl of royal blood had paid off. How he had manipulated her into using her influence and status to convince people into joining his conspiracy."

"Shersheba," Jason assumed, and Shalamorn nodded.

"She became a victim of her own ambition, yes," Shalamorn said. "But she had good intentions at the beginning."

"I guess, she really believed," Jason added, "that what she was doing was actually helping her people." He stood up. "I had a talk with her yesterday, and she made a valid proposal. This proposal is the actual reason, why I'm here."

Shalamorn looked surprised. Obviously, Mera hadn't told her about last night's encounter.

"Why does she not talk to me herself?" Shalamorn wanted to know.

"Isn't it obvious?" Jason replied. "She doesn't have an easy stand in the Pyramid right now. People either ignore or treat her like a criminal. And you keeping her in here, makes things worse for her."

"She is not a prisoner," Shalamorn exclaimed. "I pardoned her unconditionally. I thought, she would be safer on Earth."

"Well, we could find out about that," Jason ran on, hands on his hips again, "which brings me back to her suggestion about you going back to the Ocean Planet. Neri and Mera, as well."

"Going back? But we are needed here," Shalamorn frowned. "We can't leave!"

Jason shrugged. "The senators will take their time," he argued. "And you have to consolidate your authority with your people. You need to show them your strength. Give your people the opportunity to connect with you. To see and to talk to the three of you in person is maybe all it takes to make them believe in you again."

She thought about it for a moment. "Will you accompany us?"

"If you let me," he nodded, "absolutely."

"No question there," she replied. "What about Shersheba?"

"She will comply with your demand but you should ask her herself," Jason suggested. "I think it would do her some good to be involved in the planning."

"It's settled then," the Queen acknowledged. "We will tell the girls and discuss the arrangements with the council members."

"Actually," Jason objected, and she froze on her way to leave the room. "Shersheba also implied that the council members, although not consciously, maybe still slightly influenced by Malakat's way of seeing things because he was too long in the ascendant. Maybe, it would be wise to surprise them."

"Alright then," she agreed.

He hesitated. "And there is something else."

She took a step towards him, friendly smiling. "Whatever it is, Jason," she assured him, "I will grant you any request."

"It's not a request," he replied. "Shersheba mentioned that Neri was promised to Kal. And that you broke off the engagement."

Shalamorn nodded. "Yes, that poor boy! A defect on the crashed ship made his body mature in the stasis chamber, but not his mind. It is not easy for him to find his place."

"And he almost gave the synchronium to Hellegren," Jason added.

"The scientist who captured Charly," she remembered.

"Would Neri still be promised to him if it weren't for the ship's defect or his mistake?"

Her smile froze. "No," she said firmly. " _You_ are the reason why I detached the bond."

"Because I come in handy for you?" He instantly regretted his suspicious tone. "I'm sorry," he added quickly. "Bad habit! I had no intention to go down this road again."

"You have every right to be angry with me," she replied. "But to answer your original question: I broke the engagement off because I could never deny her you," she explained affectionately. "You are her heart, Jason."


	23. Chapter 23

His head span.

" _You really think, this is such a good idea?" Mera asked him sceptically. "We will be gone for at least three weeks!"_

Shivers ran down his spine from the cold.

" _Of course, we'll have to inform the President," Jason argued. "But I reckon the senators are glad for every day of reprieve they can get."_

His arms and legs felt numb.

" _But what if something happens?" Mera objected. "Until our arrival, we are out of range for any kind of communications."_

 _Brett shrugged. "Well, you need to leave someone in charge. What about Gerron?"_

 _Shalamorn looked at Neri. "What do you think, my daughter? Do you trust Gerron? What does your heart tell you?"_

 _Neri exchanged looks with Mera and Jason. "I say, we can trust Gerron. But Brett should stay here, also."_

 _Jason could tell what they were all thinking. They needed Diane._

Thick drops of water. A fogged wall of glass, which clouded his view. His eyelids felt heavy, and it took him a moment to remember where he was. Right, the stasis chamber.

" _I'll try talking to her again," Brett promised, when Jason stepped into the stasis chamber. "She is mad and all but she still knows that this is important."_

" _She was never really ok with Neri and me being together," Jason replied. "I guess, she was kind of hoping I would grow out of it."_

 _Brett looked around, observing the people around them who prepared the ship for the take-off. "Well," he said, "we did most of the stuff on our own. We only told her, when it was necessary. And sometimes not until the mission was completed. She barely saw the both of you together, the way the rest of us did."_

 _He grinned at Jason's puzzled expression. "Come on," he exclaimed and gave him a pat on his arm. "We all knew about the way you feel about each other."_

 _Jason rolled his eyes but mirrored the grin._

 _Shalamorn and her daughters stood across the room, exchanging a few words with the technicians._

" _So," Brett spoke on and ran his finger over the metal frame. "Is it really safe for a human body?"_

 _Jason shrugged. "I guess. They would never let me travel along otherwise. Shalamorn said the physiologies of both our species are pretty similar."_

" _In all matters?" Brett perked his eyebrows up in a wolfish way. Jason gave him an annoyed look. "Don't you wanna say goodbye to the girls, as well?"_

" _Later, I have some news. Guess, who hacked into the ORCA communications system?"_

" _Who?"_

" _Froggy and Vanessa," Brett beamed. "I wanted to tell you but then I stumbled into your discussion about the trip, and I forgot about it."_

" _Did you talk to them?" Jason wanted to know._

" _Of course," Brett replied. "Froggy said since the contact broke off weeks ago, they all have been very worried and eager for news. So, he applied all the tricks he learned in college to get into H.E.L.E.N.'s System. Vanessa helped him with some of the mathematical algorithms to break the security codes, … and bang! I had the shock of my life, when I came out of the shower yesterday, being stared at by Vanessa, Froggy, Zoe and Lena."_

Froggy, being a genius, had already his Bachelor Degree in Applied Informatics, and was working now on his graduation from the Yale University. Vanessa was halfway through her Bachelor degree in mathematics in Sidney, while Zoe had a sports scholarship, currently training for Olympia in Beijing. Lena had recently graduated with highest honours from the University of Melbourne in Medicine and was now an intern at the hospital there. They had all stayed in contact until the shut-down of communications.

" _What did they say?"_

" _We couldn't talk very long, so I just brought them up to date. H.E.L.E.N. was very sorry to throw them out again. She apologised three times."_

" _Yeah, she always had a soft spot for Froggy..."_

The glass door was opened, and the memory of the last conversation with his brother became a distant echo in his mind. Two pairs of blue eyes watched him concerned. Another shiver ran through his body. His arms and legs were no longer numb, just cold. He felt weak, and his knees buckled slightly. They talked to him, but he heard their voices like being under water. A blurred bubbling. Then someone moved too fast for him to keep up. A warm body was suddenly pressed against his and he realised, he had been about to fall down. He could feel her hair on his face and smiled weakly.

This was her. Neri held him in place. She was so strong.

The warmth of her body slowly transferred to his. His sight and hearing became clear.

"I'm okay," he murmured.

"Can you walk?" Neri asked him close to his ear.

"Sure," he replied. Not sure.

"Careful," he heard Mera tell her sister when Neri led him to step out of the chamber.

"How long since we landed?" Jason wanted to know. His voice was slurring.

"A few hours." He scanned the room for the source of the answer and found Shersheba in a corner. She looked as concerned as the girls but kept her distance.

Neri led him to a blank bed to sit down.

"Well, this is embarrassing," he said in another murmur.

"Not at all, my dear." Shalamorn came into his sight. "We already expected something like this to happen. Cold sleep is a rough procedure for a body, especially the first time."

"Being weaker than women in something physical is a sore spot for the men of Earth," Mera explained, grinning. "They are kind of sensitive about it."

"I needed some time to wake up, too," Neri assured him, still supporting him.

"You don't need to rebuild my self-esteem, Neri," Jason smiled and tightened his grip around her. "No serious harm was done there. I never had any problem with you being stronger than me."

Shalamorn handed him over a cup of warm water which he drank up in a few sips. The warmth flooded him and chased away the last bit of dizziness.

"Thanks," he said. "Any news from home?" he wanted to know.

"Mother … Diane ordered Brett back to ORCA," Mera responded. "He said your parents had a big fight, but your father had his way. He and Brett are now in the Pyramid. We already informed them of our safe landing. Do you want to talk to them?"

Jason shook his head. "Later." He looked in direction of the entrance door. "Wow," he realised. "I'm on a different planet." He took a breath. "That needs some processing."

"I know that feeling," Mera smiled sympathetically. "But you get used to it."

"Your Majesty," Shersheba interjected and took a step forward.

"Yes. Right. Thank you for reminding me," Shalamorn responded.

"What is it?"

"News travel fast," Shalamorn explained. "Already many people have gathered in front of the palace. I'm afraid, we don't have much time to recover."

"They are eager to see you," Shersheba added and gave Jason a look. "All of you."

He looked down at himself. He wore old jeans and a simple grey t-shirt.

"They don't care as much about clothing as the people on Earth," Mera said. "Don't worry, you look just fine."

The girls wore their usual dress. Shersheba had changed into a simple dress with a pattern of gold, white and blue.

"Don't be afraid," Neri told him. "I feel they are friendly."

"If you say so," he replied and stood up. "Let's go."

The craft's door opened to a small floor which looked similar to those in the Pyramid. They walked through corridors and chambers, filled with serving personnel and guards. Everywhere, they stopped in their activities to stare at them. The older ones scolded them for it, or at least, it sounded that way to him. Many seemed curious, but not unfriendly. Only a few shyly avoided direct eye contact. They looked away when Jason caught them staring at him.

A very brave boy approached them and presented them a plate with food. Jason recognised bread, fruits and some fish, even though they looked unfamiliar. Shalamorn smiled at him but shook her head. She spoke a few words to him and he turned to Jason. Gratefully, he took a piece of bread.

"D'hai," he tried.

Obviously, he had done it right for he found himself beamed at, not just by the boy but also by Shalamorn and the girls. The boy fled, and they walked on until they entered a yard with a fountain. Across was a huge door.

Neri took his hand and bit her lip. She seemed to be just as nervous.

"I am sorry for putting you through this with no time for preparation," Shalamorn apologised. "But you have nothing to worry about."

She took Neri by the shoulders. "You are my daughter and the anointed heir to the throne. They know what you have done for them." She turned to Jason. "And I made sure, they also know about your contribution."

"We were very focused on the things that went wrong," Mera added. "But when we arrived, we had the chance to talk to some of them. They are very happy about our return." She gave Shersheba a look. "You were right. It was about time to look at things with our own eyes."

Shersheba blinked. Obviously, she hadn't expected that. She nodded.

"Shall we go then?" Shalamorn asked, and after some agreeing nods, she opened the door. Jason exchanged another look with Neri, then took a breath as they all stepped through.


	24. Chapter 24

It took his eyes a second to adapt. It had been dark in the ship and inside the palace. Now bright sunlight blinded him for a moment. So the first thing he got from the people of the Oceanplanet were their voices. Although he didn't understand one word of their cheers he could tell they were happy and excited. He heard them saying the names of the royal women a few times.

He blinked and the picture became clear. A little surprised he realised, they were less than he had expected them to be. But somewhere in his mind, a memory flashed through of Mera telling him that the Oceanplanet was much less populated than Earth. She had also told him that the folks preferred living in small villages instead of big cities. So these forty to fifty people standing below the few steps would be considered to be a huge crowd.

They wore light clothes in multicoloured patterns and some sort of leggings, but no shoes. Some of them had bright ribbons in their hair. Most were middle-aged. Few carried children and Jason could see some youngsters in between, but barely elder people. He looked around and found that the palace they just stepped out was a building made of several pyramids. The palace itself was built into the rocks. There were a lot of stairs and platforms which were canopied with white clothes on wooden columns. But it was overall pretty flat. Jason guessed people rather stayed closer to the ground aka to the water. The people below were standing on bare soil, for the yard was not paved.

A small waterfall to his right fed a river. Through the trees of the jungle, he could see the ocean glittering in the sunlight. The trees were huge and grew thick. Some had such huge roots above the ground, he could have easily walked through below them.

The air felt warm on his skin. It was slightly damp and enriched of the scent of moist soil but also of something sweet he never smelled before.

His gaze met Neri's. She seemed just as fascinated as him.

"Like my island," she whispered happily.

Jason grinned. "Yeah, just a little bigger."

Two blonde children, a girl and a boy of the same age, broke from the crowd and climbed the five stairs running. Their mother called to them but was ignored.

"Biala! Kaapal!" Mera exclaimed as the children threw themselves into her arms. She said a few words, then nodded in Neri's direction. Neri bent down, offering them her open hands. She smiled at them, and they touched her hands, chuckling.

The cheering of the crowd died down a bit, and Jason suddenly realised that they were now aware of his presence. Their expressions changed to curiosity but also timidity.

His attention was drawn away from them as someone tugged his shirt. Biala and Kaapal showed no sign of fear, but widely grinned at him. Their mother had climbed the first step of the stairs but stood frozen, watching them with reserved fear. Mera said something calming to her.

Jason bent down and held up his open hands the same way Neri had. For a moment, his eyes met Shalamorn's who nodded encouragingly. Biala touched his fingertips with hers while Kaapal was watching her. Obviously, he was not as fearless as his sister. Jason smiled at them, and Kaapal finally dared to stretch out his hand. But instead of reaching for Jason's hand, Kaapal aimed for his head. Jason bent it and Kaapal tugged Jason's hair, chuckling. He pulled on his own hair in comparison and draw back, looking satisfied with himself. Biala tipped on each of Jason's fingers as if she was counting. Then she did the same with her own hand. Jason held up his flat hand and Biala pressed her hand against his. She gave him a bright smile, and he snapped his hand shut. With a cry of shock, she flinched back, then broke into laughter. Jason offered them both hands and Kaapal bravely touched it. Jason snapped his hand shut again. Kaapal was too slow, and Jason tugged one of his fingers. Kaapal didn't seem to mind. He laughed as well. Jason opened his hand, and it was Biala's turn again. They played this game a few rounds, and soon the children roared with laughter.

When Jason looked up, their mother was watching them with a much gentler expression. She even smiled faintly. When she called them again, they obeyed although hesitantly. Obviously, they didn't want to let go of their newest toy so soon.

Shalamorn began talking, and Jason rose. Neri gave him an affectionate smile and took his hand.

" _I know, these are difficult times_ ," Mera translated quietly. " _I know, you are afraid but be assured, that I have not abandoned you. I came here along with my daughters so we can listen to your needs in person. Spread the word, and come to us with your concerns and worries. We will listen._ "

A question was posed, and several agreeing cries were thrown in.

" _What about the people of Earth? Will they help us?_ "

" _The people of Earth have to deal with a lot of decisions right now. They still struggle with challenges we overcame centuries ago. We have to be patient._ "

" _So Malakat was right?_ "

" _Malakat would have taken Earth by force, as you know. Remember who we are! How could our children ever forgive us if we build their future in an ocean of blood? How could we forgive ourselves?_ "

The critical voices died down.

" _The Earth People are friendly and compassionate. They are just as afraid as we are. We have followed the path of peace and harmony for so long. Especially now, we should hold on to it._ "

A dark-haired woman in a green cloth stepped forward, and for a moment, Jason thought, she would bow to Shalamorn. But instead, the woman took her hands.

" _It so good to have you back, Your Majesty,_ " she said according to Mera. _"When we heard, you were still alive against all odds, it filled our hearts with great joy. With your daughters at your side, how can we doubt you anymore?_ "

Shalamorn squeezed her hand. The warm gesture seemed to be some kind of signal, for other people now climbed the stairs to approach them. Soon they were surrounded. They reached for their queen and their daughters. Surprised, Jason found himself talked to by several, excited people, as well. They laughed at his blank expression – but in a teasing, friendly way.

There was no need for a translation, though. The welcoming message was clear enough.


	25. Chapter 25

The sun had already set but the horizon still glowed in light orange and yellow. For one second Jason wondered about the missing red but remembered quickly that the people of the Oceanplanet had always used water and solar energy as their main energy supply. Therefore, the atmosphere was clean of emissions, unlike the atmosphere on Earth.

They sat silently on the roof of the highest tower/pyramid, Neri close to his right, Shalamorn and Mera a few inches away.

It had been an exhausting day, and Jason enjoyed this moment alone with his thoughts. Birds were chirping but he could also hear noises of unknown animals. In some distance, across the roof of the forest, the sea was glittering in the last light of the day. It was still warm and damp, but darkness slowly took over, for there was no moon. Stars came out and astonished he looked at the crossing rings which surrounded the Oceanplanet. Bright and shiny, as if painted on the sky.

Astrophysicists, Biologists, Geographers, … All kinds of scientists would die to study the Oceanplanet, Jason reckoned.

He lay back, his head resting on his crossed arms.

"Sister?" asked Neri suddenly. Her concerned tone made him turn his head to give Mera a look. In fact, tears were glittering on her cheeks. Shalamorn put her hand on Mera's shoulder to comfort her. "When I first came here," Mera started with a thick voice, " _jalis_ were singing at night. Their beautiful songs filled the air, putting children to sleep. Now, they are gone. So much is gone. So many are dead." Her voice broke and she turned away.

"Yes," Neri agreed sadly. "It feels empty. Like no heart."

Jason sat up and searched for words to comfort them. "Nature has the ability to recover itself," he said carefully. "I'm sure this world will get its heart back. The three of you being here … I mean, if it's true what you say about the Gift, then your bare presence may be the first step to healing the planet."

Shalamorn gave him a warm smile. "Unfortunately, it is not that easy."

"Jason is right," Neri objected. "I feel people believe. We should believe, too."

"On Earth, there is a saying," Jason replied on a sudden impulse. "'Faith can move mountains'."

"Are you a religious person, Jason?" Shalamorn wanted to know.

Jason shrugged, tugged up his left knee and rested his arm on it. "My parents are both scientists. My grandma, … my father's mother, made us go to church sometimes. But she and Mum never really got along. After my parents got divorced, the contact went down to a few calls a year. – But no, I don't consider myself religious. Not even very spiritual." He gave Neri a look. "But you surely changed things."

Neri smiled at him and leant over to rest her head on his shoulder.

"In what way?" Shalamorn asked.

Jason realised, he didn't care anymore about cuddling in front of her. However, his heart made a jump. The way Neri leant on him as if taken for granted, filled him with pride.

Mera's gaze put a little damper on it. She didn't smile at them, as she used to do. She had watched the gesture, frowning. Her expression was thoughtful.

Jason forced himself back to focus on Shalamorn. Surely, Mera was just lost in her sorrow and her dark face had nothing to do with them.

"Neri's appearance brought a lot of questions," Jason explained. "Brett and me, we were curious, of course, but we also just enjoyed the fact, we were friends with someone special. Mum couldn't just let it be and started doing tests on her and her abilities. But she never got the answers, she was looking for. At some point, she just accepted that Neri as a person was more important to her than as a scientific object. The telepathy, though, the communication with Charly, was the only thing, she kept researching. Once, she mentioned a theory, about some kind of telepathic field."

"A telepathic field?"

"Yeah, there was this scientist … Sheldrick? Sheldrake?" He shrugged. "Something like that. But he collected data from pet behaviour which could not be explained by simple habits. Cats, who knew about the exact time of their owner's arrival, although they didn't come home at the same time every night. Dogs, who knew immediately, if something was wrong with their owners, even before they did. For him, the animal's behaviour goes back to so-called morphic fields. Some kind of collective memory of nature. A living library, you could say."

Shalamorn smiled a strange smile.

"Well," Jason quickly added, "it is highly discussed. Just a theory."

Shalamorn's smile grew wider. "You call it a theory, but for us, it is common knowledge."

Jason and Neri straightened up at the same time.

"What?" Jason asked. "You're saying this guy was right about this?"

"Do you remember what we talked about at the conference with the President? About our way of storing history in a common memory?" He nodded, and Shalamorn ran on. "Indeed, we are connected telepathically, as you know. The family bonds are even stronger. This morphic field, how you call it, includes every living thing, as well. But communication is, of course, limited to the few creatures with a consciousness of their own, and it also depends on the extent of the telepathic ability."

"What do you think, Jason?" Neri asked.

"Yes," Mera added. "Faith? Religion? Telepathy? Where are you going with this?"

The idea took shape in his mind. "Maybe, this is just science fiction stuff … " He hesitated, but went on after remembering, they would never laugh at him. "But you touched the synchronium with your mind, and it healed the ocean. To me, it sounds like the synchronium is just some kind of catalyst. You said, your ancestors also were in possession of the Gift, and that you stored your stories, your past in this collective memory. Maybe, their Gift is still there. Like a footprint."

"You think," Mera said, and her face lit up, "if we could get access to the memories of the Gift, we could put it directly into use to save our planets?" She exchanged an excited look with Neri, and both turned to their mother.

Shalamorn's forehead was in wrinkles, and his heart sank. "Well, this idea is not totally new," she began and looked at each of them. "But it is considered fairytale material. Stuff of old legends and myths. Partially, even of religious prophecies."

"In every fairytale lies a drop of truth, isn't it?" Mera asked. "Another saying on Earth," she explained quickly. Obviously, she wasn't ready to give up on this thought so fast. Neri's expression told him, she wasn't either.

"Hm," Shalamorn made. "I have to admit, we focused research on space travel and Earth in the last centuries. The holy brothers and sisters in the temples will maybe know more about this. But religion never had much priority in my reign. I'm afraid, I don't really have a good stand with them."

"But it's worth a shot, isn't it?" Jason argued.

"Yes, it is," Shalamorn agreed. "Tomorrow, we have to meet with the council, but the day after, we will visit the main temple in this province."

"Jason," Neri said quietly and touched his arm, while Mera and Shalamorn already had climbed through a window into the tower again. "Do you really think this is the way to healing?"

"I don't know," he confessed. "But think of it: all they ever told you, is that you have the Gift of healing and mending. But they never told you, or Mera, what you're supposed to do with it. Brett told me, you brought him back once. And you certainly healed me."

"You?"

"Remember, when I told you about my Dad?"

"You teach me about crying," she said. "You were sad."

He squeezed her hand. "Yes, I was. It was the first time that I talked to anyone about this. With you, it felt right. Easy. And when you touched me to reach for the tears, there was sort of a relief running through me. A huge weight was lifted from me. You healed me."

"Yes, I remember," Neri replied. "It was first time I trusted you. When I felt, you're a good person. I wanted to help you."

"Maybe, that's the point," Jason nodded. "It's not enough to just _be_ there. Maybe, the three of you together, you find some way to access the Gifts of your ancestors."

"There is a lot 'maybe' in your speak," Neri pointed out.

He took both her hands into his. "What do _you_ think?" he wanted to know.

She broke into a grin. "That, _maybe,_ it is the way."

He grinned back and caressed the back of her hands affectionately. She leant forward, and he bent his head to meet her halfway. The kiss was soft and sweet. He took her face into his hands, and her hands rested on his hips. Their breath mingled with every touch of their lips. The butterflies in his stomach danced helter-skelter, and he wished for the touch never to end. Gently she asked for access to the tip of her tongue, and he granted it. His heart beat frantically in his chest, when he, once again, tasted the warm flesh of her tongue. She sighed quietly and closed the small distance between their bodies. The way she played with his tongue was almost demanding now, and unexpectedly, he felt her hands on his skin. She had slipped under his T-shirt, her fingertips running across his back. Shivers ran down his spine. Suddenly, he became aware, that she certainly felt his arousal.

 _Stop_.

 _Stop right now_.

He carefully retreated and took a deep breath. "We should go inside," he murmured.


	26. Chapter 26

" _No_ ," Mera translated quietly the harshly spoken words of Councillor Chianba, " _We allowed him to speak in the transmission, but these halls are ancient and sacred. We are not ready to break any more traditional rules for Earth People_."

Chianba gave Jason an angry look. " _Not even for the princess's heart_ ," Mera finished Chianba's speech. There was a hint of anger now in Mera's voice, as well, but also hesitation by the last part.

 _Heart_.

It was the second time he was called that. He couldn't help but smile, for this sounded much better than _boyfriend_ or _partner_.

The council halls were indeed impressive. The ancient but neatly built stones told of their age. Hieroglyphs and flamboyant drawings were found on every wall. The only indication that the society using those buildings was of modern technology, were the soft vibrations Jason could feel by touching the walls. The control panels were almost invisible, but the artificial intelligence that operated the energy systems was any way working mostly with voice entry. Jason learned that the receivers could be found everywhere, remembering him a lot of H.E.L.E.N, for she was operating in a similar way.

"I understand," Jason replied. He was annoyed but not exactly surprised. Obviously, the council members didn't like confrontations very much and somehow he always had something to add much to their dislike.

"I will stay in the palace waiting for you," he said and took Neri's hands in his.

Neri bit her lip with a sceptical look on her face. "But we need you," she objected and he smiled.

"Hardly," he responded. "You know my arguments and you know the people of Earth, – maybe even better than they know themselves. I bet, you got quite an impression when you met the President and the senators. And also," – he gave Shalamorn a quick look, – "this meeting will be about your people and their needs. This is why we are here. And this is also something, you have to do on your own."

"Jason is right, sister," Mera said, but Neri didn't seem convinced.

"Princess?"

Jason turned his head in surprise. He had never heard Shersheba calling Neri _princess_ or even address her directly in a respectful tone.

Shersheba stepped forward. "The council members are afraid you might turn this meeting into another debate on how to deal with the Earth People. Even though you intend to talk about the current situation on our planet, involving Jason can be still interpreted as a sign of prioritising their needs over our own."

Jason nodded. "It's too early. We will have another interplanetary dialogue but first things first. And first means, getting back your authority."

"Don't worry," Shersheba assured Neri. "I will take good care of him."

Shersheba's tone contained no hint of her usual purring lewdness but nevertheless, Mera shot her a nasty look. Shersheba smiled her friendliest smile.

Neri took a step closer to him, not looking very thrilled by the idea. She had never been the jealous type but there was something possessive in the way she wrapped her arms around his waist, leading him to make a step away from Shersheba.

He suppressed a flattered smile and pulled her closer. This was not the right moment to cause a cat fight. He couldn't think of anything he had done to give Neri reason to jealousy – not since they officially became an item. Also, Shersheba had never been really serious about him, and more important, Jason had never been serious about her.

He cupped Neri's face with his hands and gently brushed his lips against hers. "It's okay," he assured her. "I will be here when you're done. Maybe, Shersheba and me, we can start digging about morphic fields."

Mentioning Shersheba made Neri pull him even closer. She _was_ jealous, but with her mother and sister, as well as a stranger and quite hostile looking council member next to them, there wasn't much he could say to convince her that there was no reason for her to doubt him.

At least, not out loud.

He put all the caring and affection for her into one look, caressing her cheeks with his thumbs.

 _I love you_ , he thought. _Always_.

It worked. Neri's face lit up and she broke into a radiant smile. His heart skipped a beat and the so well-known butterflies stormed his interior.

Why on Earth(or, on Ocean planet) would she be jealous? She was and had always been, the only one to make him feel like this. Like there was nothing, he couldn't do. Around her, his world was in the right place.

He wanted to drag her into an impossibly close embrace, wanted to feel the warmth of her body against his own. He wanted to sense her soft skin against his and just give in to the sudden urge to kiss her senseless.

Her grip on him tightened and the longing way she looked at his mouth told him, she sensed these thoughts as well. He took a deep breath and retreated.

Mera and Shalamorn had politely looked away, but the slight smirk on Shersheba's face made an uncomfortable shiver running down his spine. Did they feel his thoughts as well?

Another even more uncomfortable thought took shape in his mind. Could they sense his desire? Or what Neri felt when he kissed her? Did they actually feel … _everything_?

Even the thought of asking them about this made him blush even more. How come he didn't think of that earlier?

Chianba cleared impatiently her throat, reminding him of more urgent things. "Shall we get started then?" she asked in English.

Jason squeezed Neri's hand and gave her an assuring smile. "I'll see you later."


	27. Chapter 27

Although it was still early, the air felt already thick and damp on his skin. It smelled of wet soil and moss. Despite mostly walking in the shadows of the huge trees, Jason felt warm in his T-shirt. Every few steps, he sank a little bit into the muddy ground with his sneakers and decided to leave them in the palace next time. He could see now, why the people of the Ocean Planet didn't wear shoes.

"Where are we going?" he asked Shersheba who walked beside him. "This is not the way back to the palace."

"There is a very old sacred site in the Archali province," she explained. "I figured you are interested in visiting."

"Yeah, but what about...?"

"Those meetings usually last until the middle of the night," she cut in and smiled. "You really want to sit around all day?"

Jason frowned. "No, but I told her, I'd be there when they are done."

"I already told the personnel where we'd be," Shersheba replied with a hint of annoyance. "If the meeting is indeed shorter than usual, they will know where to find us."

Jason stopped dead and rested his hands on his hips. "You decided this without even asking me?"

Shersheba blinked in surprise but recovered herself quickly. "I'm sorry, Jason," she said ruefully. "I'm still not used to people, especially to men, who put my decisions into question. I had no intention to offend you."

Jason sighed. "You didn't," he responded. "I know you are still a princess, too, Shersheba. And you might have some power left but you cannot just take it for granted that people do whatever you tell them to, - or that they agree with your decisions."

"Power?" she replied frowning. "If I didn't fight for it I would not even have the grant to speak to the council members. Most of them didn't like Shalamorn pardoning me very much. Maybe it does not look like it for you, but I'm not exactly welcomed here. I just assumed you would rather take a look around and do something purposeful. "

"I'm sorry," Jason said quickly and held up his hands in a defending gesture. He had expected her pride to be injured but something in her tone told him, she was hurt in a deeper way. The hostility was getting to her, he realised, – maybe more she would ever admit.

He hesitated shortly but then took a step closer to her to grab her by the shoulders. Her defiant expression turned into pleasant surprise but mixed with a hint of insecurity.

"I'm sorry," he repeated. "I know you try. You're doing your best to make up for what you've … for what happened." He let go of her.

"You have not forgiven me," she presumed in a sad tone.

Jason shrugged, then put his hands on his waist. "I don't know," he murmured. "I'm trying to get there, but..."

"It was Malakat's and _my_ fault that she fell into the hands of those agents. I knew she could get killed and yet I did nothing," she summarised. "That's what you're thinking, isn't it?"

Jason sighed. "I'm actually trying _not_ to think about that part anymore."

 _Neri lying in his bed, who had just stopped breathing. The dark bruises on her skin telling them how much she had suffered while they had slowly killed her._

Dread rushed through him by the memory and he forced himself to shove the picture out of his head.

He had forgiven Elli Hauser, he suddenly realised. She had been involved in killing Neri, more than Shersheba had, and still, he had found it easier to forgive Elli.

Elli had a good heart and yet she had failed to protect Neri. Shersheba was ambitious and driven but desperately tried to change.

"Look," he said, "I'm not gonna lie to you. I still have a lot of processing to do – we all have. Neri dying in my very arms was the worst thing that ever happened to me. My world fell apart that day. And to tell you the truth: I'm not sure I forgave myself yet," he suddenly realised.

"You respected her wishes and brought the ankh to safety," Shersheba argued. "You didn't fail her. You honoured her and what she stands for."

"It was still in vain. A few weeks later you found the ankh."

For a minute, they just stood in front of each other, lost in thoughts and memories. The silence was neither comfortable nor uncomfortable.

When their eyes met again, Jason felt the sudden strange urge to laugh. He failed to hold back and snorted. To his surprise, Shersheba broke into to a grin and joined his laughter. He had never seen or heard Shersheba honestly laughing before but he had to admit, he liked the sight and the sound of it. Relief washed through him, adding even more to his exhilaration. Suddenly freed from this huge weight on his shoulders, he laughed even harder and so did Shersheba.

It took them a while to regain their breath and while trying, they fell into laughter all anew.

Only a few minutes had passed but yet it felt like hours when Jason was finally able to stop giggling like a madman.

"It seems," Shersheba said finally, still smiling, "to forgive one itself is the hardest struggle to overcome first before you can start to forgive others."

Jason nodded. "Seems like it, yes."

Shersheba turned more serious. "How about, we both start forgiving ourselves?" she suggested. "Stop blaming ourselves for everything that went wrong in the past?"

He offered her his outstretched hand. "No more looking back. But to a new start."

She gave his hand a confused look and he grinned

"It's an earthly tradition on how to seal a deal," he explained. "Just take my hand and shake it."

She did as advised and smiled back. "A new start," she agreed.

They pulled back their hands simultaneously.

"Well," Jason nodded in direction of their original destination, "shall we go then?"


	28. Chapter 28

They got to the Archali province via water tunnel and as it turned out, the province was basically a chain of islands. Hotspot volcanism had formed huge mountains, covered in green. Big waves crashed against the cliffs and the sound of the surge mingled with the noises of the forest. Birds were chirping loudly and he spotted some white ones, making good use of the thermal updraft, looking very much alike to the seagulls he knew.

"These islands inhabit a lot of wildlife," Shersheba explained. "You cannot find any place else on the Planet of Oceans with so many species at one place. This is why our ancestors chose this place to built a shrine here. It is considered a holy place."

Jason shielded his eyes against the burning sun but the glittering ocean still blinded his sight. They had an astonishing view over the islands and he felt like he would never have had enough from looking at this beautiful spot.

"We have similar places on Earth," he agreed. "But this is remarkable. It looks almost untouched."

Shersheba nodded. "Only the holy women and men of the temple are allowed to live here."

She pointed a little down the hillside where he caught a glimpse of old masonry between the trees. "This is one of the oldest temples to find."

It seemed, they were not the only visitors seeking for answers. Usually, Jason would have felt a little off in his strange clothes compared to those around him, but most of the people they met on their way were too lost in thought to take notice.

The temple was built of columns and pyramids with flat roofs, embedded into the rocks and trees surrounding it. Planes and wide steps formed a generous landscape of terraces in front of the main building, revealing a direct view of the open sea.

Two female stone figures guarded the entrance on both sides. They stood tall and proud with their beautiful carved faces directed to the ocean, each holding an ankh in their hands. The right figure had creatures of different sizes cuddled up against her feet and on her shoulders, while the other one was surrounded by plants. Below them at their feet, there were small basins with an extraordinary looking, blue shining water.

"The twin goddesses," Shersheba explained quietly. "Machna and Eirhne, tutelary deities of nature. Women come to Machna, praying for fertility and asking her to protect their newborns. Eirhne provides a good harvest and keeps life in balance." She looked around and Jason followed her gaze. "Since science reached its boundaries in this crisis, many found back to the ancient beliefs, seeking comfort in the old ways."

Jason nodded. "Yeah, I figured. What's with the water in the basins?"

"Maybe the answer you have been looking for, Jason Bates."

They turned around to find the source of the unknown voice with the strange dialect and were faced by a dark-skinned woman, maybe a few years older than them, dressed in a plain white cloth. Her waist and arms were draped with matte golden rings. Her curly black hair was half-hooded with a white headcloth.

For a moment, Jason found himself out of words when the pretty priestess smiled with her full sensual lips. Her gaze out of the dark eyes was intense and knowing, but yet friendly.

"Shersheba." The priestess opened her arms and pulled her into a close hug. Shersheba seemed just as surprised as Jason, but hugged her back.

"It is so good to see you," the priestess said after retreating. "It is been too long!"

"You too, Merein," Shersheba replied, smiling back at her, "I just wasn't sure if I was still welcomed here."

"Of course, you are," Merein insisted. "Why wouldn't you?"

Shersheba blinked confused by her uncomprehending tone. "Because of the horrible things I said to you the last time?"

Merein smiled sympathetically. "Shersheba, I have known you since we both were children," she replied in a warm tone. "And we all make mistakes."

Shersheba still looked quite apologetic and they gazes met.

"We had a deal," Jason reminded her and she nodded with a sigh.

Merein gave him a curious look but her attention still was on Shersheba.

"Merein," Shersheba told her, "if you accept my apology I will try to not longer torment myself with the past."

"Of course," Merein responded.

Then she turned around to face Jason and took his right hand into hers. She closed her eyes and started tracing the lines carved in his palm.

"You have a strong sense of justice and moral," Merein said, her eyes still closed. "You're selfless and protective of the ones you love."

She opened her eyes with a smile and let go of him.

"You know who I am," he stated astonished and unbelieving, "and you get all this by just touching my hand?"

"You've come a long way," she answered, "and you have an even longer one to go."

His eyes narrowed by her cheesy phrase and he looked from Shersheba to Merein.

"You're making fun of me, are you?" he assumed and Merein broke into laughter after exchanging a glance with Shersheba.

"Of course I know who you are," she confessed, still grinning. "I heard a great deal about you. Everyone has."

"Hm," Jason made flattered, but also embarrassed, "I don't know what to say to that."

"Don't worry," Merein said sympathetically. "The Chosen One chose you. And that's got something to say, don't you think? – Now," she clapped her hands and pointed to the entrance of the temple, "shall I show you around?"

"I'd love that," Jason admitted, "but maybe you could start with explaining what you meant by _the answer I'd been looking for_?"

"Oh," Merein snorted, "I just said that to make a dramatic entrance. Most people coming here obviously seek answers on how to solve their struggles and many of them find them in this holy water – or at least, it is what they believe in."

"The bluish colour comes from a drug," Shersheba said drily. "A substance which helps you getting into a state of trance, but can also cause serious hallucinations."

"Ts, ts," Merein made and clicked her tongue. "You make it sound like something bad. It's a pollen," she told him. "Completely natural. If Eirhne didn't want us to make use of it she wouldn't have had provided us with it, would she?"

Jason laughed. "I see. Some principles of religious beliefs are, all the same, no matter the faith, - or planet. "

"In the end, it is _all_ the same, isn't it?" Merein smirked. "No matter how you see your deities, - male, female, if they are many or just one, - and no matter how you call them, it's just about the feeling to have someone to watch over you."

Jason smiled back. Most people he met occupying a ministry had been very strict and stubborn when it came to other beliefs. Merein was the first he really liked and somehow he had the feeling to be in the perfect place at the perfect time.


	29. Chapter 29

Jason left his shoes at the entrance and stuffed his socks into his back pockets. Somehow it didn't felt right to him to enter the temple with footwear while everyone around him was barefoot.

"The pollen enhances our abilities," Merein explained when they walked through the stony halls. "It makes us feel connected with each other and also closer to the gods and goddesses of our beliefs."

"What do you think," Jason asked, "would happen if someone with The Gift took it?"

In short, he had told Merein about the idea and her face had lit up, telling them, they indeed had some old stories in their library.

"I don't know," Merein replied, "maybe, it will enhance The Gift as well, and maybe there is no effect at all. The Gift is an abstract concept. Only a few people possess it, and the knowledge is, therefore, limited in both science and mythology."

They entered a huge garden with a small river, ponds and fountains and Jason halted to process the sight. Flowers came in all sizes and colours. Big palm trees with huge leaves provided shade and bulging red fruits. Pretty birds with colourful feathering and beautiful singing noises allowed the visitors to pet them.

A young girl in priestess clothes but without the golden rings approached them, offering them water and a plate with different fruits.

Jason took a yellow plum, – or at least something, that looked similar, – and took a bite. He found himself wondering about the strange smirk the girl gave him, only to start coughing immediately by the surprising and extremely sour flavour.

The girl, Merein and Shersheba broke into laughter.

"These … _zaibas_ ," the novice said in broken English. "Healthy."

"Yeah," Jason gasped. "I bet."

The afternoon came quickly. They walked around in the beautiful garden, sitting down twice between the trees to flee the hot sun. The warmth made him a little drowsy but although he was surrounded by strangers, he couldn't remember feeling so relaxed for the last time. He enjoyed the cool grass under his feet and the thick air in his lungs, which tasted slightly sweet on his tongue.

When he came here, he had had a plan in mind but he was certainly allowed to take one day off. Every day since he had known Neri, there had been a task to fulfil. Even his vacation days had been filled with duties.

Not, that he had complained or even minded. But this felt actually nice. He only wished for Neri to be here with him.

They sat on the ground. Something unusual caught his eyes and he sat up, resting his upper body on his elbows. It took his light-headed mind a second to put some sense into his view.

He recognised the children from his arrival. Biala and Kaapal had obviously found his shoes and examined them with great curiosity. Biala stepped with her right foot into the left sneaker and took some careful steps. Then she grimaced and shook it off. Kapaal had started to loosen the shoelaces of the right foot and Biala absorbed his idea with an enthusiastic expression. Grinning, Jason watched the children and a barely known feeling of peace took over him.

Merein and Shersheba had followed his gaze.

"Shall I get them for you?" Merein asked with a crooked smile. "You know, otherwise you will never see them again."

Jason shook his head. "No, I don't mind."

The children suddenly realised, they had been watched. They waved at him, took the shoes and disappeared with revelling laughter behind some shrubs.

Merein got to her feet. "I need some water," she explained. "You want to come with me to the baths?"


	30. Chapter 30

"So, you went to the Archali Temple?" Shalamorn asked during breakfast.

Jason took a bite from the delicious bread. "It's a really beautiful place," he replied after swallowing. "It reminded me of the trip to India when my parents were still together. The pretty gardens, the pools and fountains, and of course the monks and nuns all around."

"They do not exactly live by the same rules as they do on Earth," Mera said and her sharp look made his cheeks burn hot when the memory of the day before flashed through his mind.

"I hoped to find out about The Gift," Jason ran on quickly to cover up his embarrassment. "But I've must have been still suffering from the consequences of the cold sleep."

"You felt light-headed?" Shalamorn assumed. "Dizzy?" Her smirk wasn't to his liking.

Jason nodded. "Yeah, the flight must have affected me worse than I thought."

"It wasn't the cold sleep," Mera replied frowning. "Did they tell you about the blue water?"

"Yes, but I didn't drink it," he assured them but Mera just snorted and shook her head.

"Doesn't matter," she said. "It's a pollen. So it's also in the air on the whole island."

Jason swallowed his water wrong way. "What?" he coughed. "Does that mean I was unintentionally drugged?"

The peaceful bliss, the sudden relaxation, the drowsiness which had made him too sleepy to run after his shoes … He knew there were more important things than a vacation but somehow he had forgotten about that. Now that Mera accused him of actually being _high_ , it started to make sense.

He had returned after darkness while Shersheba had decided to stay in the temple.

Neri had already been laying in her bed when he had entered the bedroom. He still had been feeling cheerful and somehow light. Neri had turned around but before she could have said anything, he had covered her mouth with his in a gentle kiss. His lips had moved softly against hers while he had wrapped his arms around her.

For once, he hadn't thought about the consequences of feeling her so close to him.

His lips had kept brushing against hers. Caressing her back, he had let his hands wander up to her neck. He had shoved her hair out of her face and smiled at her. Then he had kissed her one last time before the weariness took finally over him.

His head felt hot when he thought about his behaviour last night.

If he hadn't been so tired maybe he would have lost any left self-control, maybe even pressuring Neri into something, she wasn't ready for.

The embarrassment became irritation and he felt the urge to slap himself.

"I'm definitely gonna stay away from this place as far as possible from now on," he murmured, then shoved his trip momentarily out of his mind. "Anyway," he ran on, "how was your meeting?"

"Surprisingly productive," Shalamorn replied. "Chianba and Mal still have a lot to say, mostly opposing to every suggestion. But fortunately, there are also sensible voices in the council, which are lead by kindness, not by fear."

"But I feel, there is something they not tell us," Neri said. "Too many secrets. A darkness, as if Malakat is still here."

"No," Shalamorn responded and shook her head. "Malakat has been exiled and put to sleep in a stasis chamber. He is too dangerous to be kept awake."

Jason examined Neri's sceptic face. "Is there a possibility, he would have escaped his prison?" he asked.

"He is heavily guarded," Shalamorn answered, "I would have been told about any developments."

"By the council?" Jason presumed and Shalamorn nodded.

"It is not him in flesh," Neri tossed in, "it's what he left. I still feel his spirit in the minds of the people. We have to go see them."

"All of them?" Shalamorn asked frowning.

"Yes."

"This will take weeks or even months," Mera argued. "We don't have the time."

"Then we will make time," Neri insisted. "I don't trust the council."

"Neri's right," Jason agreed and turned to Shalamorn. "You did most of your reigning inside the pyramids, surrounded by your council. Malakat sought the dialogue. Maybe, this is part of why he turned out to be so successful."

"I tried to talk to them," Mera reminded him, "They didn't listen."

"Can you blame them?"

They turned around simultaneously and Shersheba entered the room. She wore a pretty dark dress which emphasised her feminine shape. Her hair shone bluish.

"You Majesty, I'm sorry to interrupt," Shersheba said. "This is Merein, third priestess of the Archali Temple."

Merein seemed to rise like a shadow behind Shersheba.

Shalamorn got to her feet. Jason and the girls followed her example.

"Welcome, Merein, third priestess of the Archali Temple," Shalamorn answered and took a respectful bow.

Shersheba and Merein took a few steps towards them and bowed as well. Merein winked at Jason and he grinned back, slightly blushing.

Mera had frowned and Jason felt Neri's hand slipping into his.

Shalamorn just nodded, her expression kind and patient, when she turned her attention back to Shersheba. "You were saying?" she asked her.

"All you did back then, princess" Shersheba ran on, "was to tell people that Malakat's way was the wrong way. But you didn't offer any solutions but the same phrases we had been told before again and again by the same old councillors, which hid safe and sound in the pyramid. You were so young and you spent most of your life on Earth. So why should people trust you, for you were obviously compromised? Malakat had been a trusted advisor for the Queen for many years and Jason is right: he sought the direct contact. He didn't just talk to them, but also listened to what they had to say."

"He was a brilliant politician," Shersheba agreed with a sigh, "even though he was corrupted by his own greed for power."

"Wrong," Merein said quietly and they turned to her with surprise. "It is the power that corrupts," Merein explained. "I think, Malakat has been trapped in his own doom loop. Sooner or later, he would have destroyed himself anyway."

"Well," Jason murmured, "fortunately, we don't have to wait to that anymore."

"Would you like to join us for breakfast?" Shalamorn asked them but Shersheba shook her head.

"No, thank you, Your Majesty," Shersheba replied. "I just came here to ask for your permission to spent some more time in the Archali Temple."

"As you know," Merein stepped in, "Shersheba grew up near the temple. We would be grateful and happy to have her around for a while."

Shalamorn shrugged. "Of course," she said, "if that's what you wish for, Your Highness?"

Shersheba smiled and bowed again. "Thank you, Your Majesty. I will get my things right away."

"It was nice to see you, Jason," Merein grinned, as they both turned to go.

"You too, Merein," Jason responded, his cheeks flushed.

The grip on his hand tightened.

* * *

"Jason?" Mera took his arm on their way out half an hour later, gesturing her sister and mother to go on.

"Yeah?"

"Did they tell you, that the pollen on the island is also to be said to enhance virility?"

Uncomfortable, he flinched away from her touch. "What?" he murmured.

Mera watched him intensely, her jaw chewing. "Did they offer you a bath?"

His face was now burning hot when the pictures of the memory he had tried to shove away, flooded his mind. "Yes," he confessed, "but I didn't know what they meant was .."

"An actual bath with naked priestesses trying to seduce you?" Mera finished his sentence and he tried to avoid her gaze, but she made it impossible.

"I had no idea," he defended himself, "and I declined it."

"Of course, you did," Mera replied. "But don't you think it's a little odd that of all sacred sites, Shersheba brought you to Archali?"

"No," he responded and shrugged, "as Merein said, Shersheba knows this place from her childhood."

Mera opened her mouth but he cut her up by an annoyed gesture. "Mera, what are you saying?"

"I'm sorry, Jason," she said and sighed, "you're right. I guess, the stress is getting to me and I started imagining things."

"Things?"

Mera shrugged and smiled crookedly. "You know, just confound sometimes people to trust and those to be careful around."

Jason shook his head in disbelief. "It's me, Mera," he made clear and emphasised his words with a gesture of his hands. "Of course, you can trust me."

Mera nodded and he turned to go.

"Jason, do you love my sister?"

Irritated, he froze dead, an angry response on his tongue.

"Are you _in love_ with my sister?" she asked him and gave him such a serious gaze that the annoyed reply got stuck in his throat.

He hesitated. "Yes," he said then firmly, "I do. I am."

"Good," she answered quietly, then passed him by, heading for the door.

Confused, he followed her.


	31. Chapter 31

Jason pressed the wet piece of cloth Mera had brought him against his left temple. He sat on a step in the throne room of a pyramid, much likely to that he knew from Earth. Neri, Mera and Shalamorn stood around him, all three examining him with deep concern.

"It's just a scratch," he assured them. "I'm alright."

"Are you sure?" Shalamorn asked. "No dizziness? Or the feeling you might be sick?"

Jason shook his head – which he regretted instantly. He tried to keep his expression calm but must have failed miserably by the worried face Neri gave him. She sat down next to him and took over the cloth. Very carefully, she dabbed the wound but yet he flinched slightly.

A loud beeping noise drew their attention away from him to the communication device on the altar. Shalamorn nodded at a guard and he took the call.

"It's been a whole week, man," Brett instantly complained from the screen, then suddenly gasped when he finally made sense of the scene in front of him. "Dude, what the fuck happened?"

"Brett," Jason said sharply, "language!"

But his brother just made a dismissive gesture. "You're bleeding bad! How did that happen? I thought you were on some kind of world peace tour."

"We were," Mera said.

"We _are_ ," Jason corrected her and she rolled her eyes. "It was just this one guy who is seemingly not very interested in peace."

"What was his problem?"

"We are about to find out," Shalamorn responded. "He has been arrested and as soon, as Jason is taken care of, he will be interrogated."

" _I said_ ," Jason tossed in firmly, "I'm okay!"

Neri wiped his temple and he grimaced when the pain flashed through.

"It's still bleeding," she protested.

"You make it better," Jason murmured so quietly only she could hear him. Her touch indeed made him feel better, for it was distracting him from the pain. Her fingertips ran softly over the line of his jaw and a comfortable shiver ran down his spine. He exposed his neck a little more, and she took the hint smilingly, her fingers now gently stroking over the sensitive skin.

Of course, their behaviour didn't go unnoticed and Brett rolled his eyes. "Would you stop flirting and fill me in already?" he demanded impatiently.

"We visited the bigger villages of the Tauri and the Hill provinces," Shalamorn answered, "talked to the mayors and made some inventory."

"The situation is indeed bad," Mera added, "but the prognosis of the death toll was exaggerated. Many regions had been neglected and although many heard of Mother's return, they were still shocked to see her in flesh."

A retired teacher named Iszra had agreed to translate for Jason, so the girls and Shalamorn could focus on the people. Jason tried his best to learn the tongue as well, but languages had never been his strongest suit. After spending hours and hours in the villages, he still sat down with Iszra at night for one or two lessons.

Iszra was patient and kind, and Jason was very grateful for his support but he also grew frustrated, for he and Neri had even less time together now. But at least, he started to get the main context.

It seemed the oceans weren't as empty even though the fish stocks had drastically been reduced. The islands still provided a lot of fruits, seeds and roots. Hunting the animals living in the jungle had become a necessary, even though considered to be an unusual step.

Those affected by the Red Virus had been given the antidote and Iszra had told Jason, that it was well known he had been the one to come up with the idea of testing Charly's blood. Usually, the village people had met him with respect and kindness, – until today.

"Until now, people were excited and curious to see us," Mera told Brett. "Then suddenly this guy appeared, screaming something about a conspiracy and throwing stones at us."

Someone had brought a newly wetted cloth for Jason. The wound had finally stopped bleeding and the red stains in the cloth were only of already dried blood.

Neri took her time to wipe his face. She did it now with the left hand, while the right one caressed his neck, eventually brushing through his hair. The smirk on her face told him she wasn't worried anymore but simply enjoyed nursing him. He had a hard time to focus on the report. Her affectionate touch was pure bliss and he had to fight the urge to close his eyes.

They still spent their nights together but although usually sleeping in a tight embrace, the physical allocations had been drastically reduced. Of course, Neri took his hand now and then but it had been days since their last kiss.

"Conspiracy?" Brett asked, his forehead frowning. "Is he crazy or something?"

"No," Neri replied and dropped her hands. Jason almost winced by the loss but stopped himself in time. At least, it brought him back to the conversation.

"He is not crazy," Neri ran on. "Just confused and angry. We have to talk to him."

Shalamorn gave Jason a last examining look, then nodded. "Bring him in," she told the guards.

The young blonde man was indeed no madman. His blue eyes were clear. Two guards held his arms against his back and he did not once try to fight them. But he gave everyone surrounding him a defiant look.

"Who are you?" Shalamorn asked him and repeated the question in the native tongue.

" _My name is Ilf_ ," Mera translated for Jason and Brett.

"Do you know our speak?" Neri wanted to know but his eyes just narrowed.

" _Why should I learn the tongue of the dirty Earth People?_ " he responded according to Mera after Neri had asked him again in their own language. " _We will drown them and those left will serve us. They have to learn our language, not the other way round!_ "

" _Malakat is gone_ ," Shalamorn said firmly. " _There will be no invasion._ "

" _And how will we survive then?_ "

" _The Red Virus is defeated_ ," Mera told him, but he shook his head.

" _The Earth People will destroy their planet and then it will be our death, too! And Malakat told us about the lies the scientists have fed to us._ "

" _What lies_?" Neri wanted to know.

He tried to flinch away from her and Jason angry got to his feet when he hissed at her.

"Don't you dare to call her a witch!"

Neri took Jason's arm to calm him down. " _What lies are you talking about, Ilf_?" she tried again, her tone all friendly, but yet he seemed to fear her.

" _Don't try your tricks on me, witch! I heard about you_ ," he spluttered, " _but I won't fall under your spell_ – Ahh!"

The guards had tightened their grip, their hands digging into his shoulders.

"Don't hurt him," Neri exclaimed. "Let go of him!"

They exchanged a quick look. "But princess," one of them murmured but Neri shot him an intense glance.

"Now," she told him. "Please," she added and Jason watched her with fascination and affection. She began to take the floor like a real princess and a wave of pride flooded him.

The guards hesitated but finally complied.

The look, Ilf gave her, was a mixture of suspicion and freight. Jason figured he didn't speak English but Neri had always been better with non-verbal language anyway.

She took a glass with water and offered it to him, kindly smiling. It felt like hours until he finally took it and wetted his face, saving the last bit to drink.

" _Please_ ," she said, falling back into the native tongue, " _tell us about the lies_."

" _Malakat says that our planet is sick. That the Red Virus is just a symptom._ "

" _It was Malakat who created the virus,_ " Mera said.

" _Lies!_ " he yelled. Neri flinched away from him in shock but immediately held up her hands to stop the guard from grabbing him again.

The confusion in Ilf's expression grew and the suspicion won over the fear. " _That's just propaganda_ ," he asserted forcefully, " _Malakat always wanted the best for us. That's why he took you out_ ," he told Shalamorn. " _He knew you were too soft, too weak to lead the invasion to Earth_."

" _The only one he ever cared for was himself_ ," Shalamorn replied. " _He was driven by the strive for power._ "

" _Why didn't he kill you then?_ " He broke into a triumphant smile when Shalamorn hesitated. "Y _es, we know him better than you do. He has always taken care of us!_ "

" _What do you mean with 'us' and 'we'_?" Neri wanted to know. " _Are there more?_ "

" _What do you think, stupid girl?_ " he said, obviously starting to lose his fear of her. " _Of course, there are more! Many who are still loyal to Malakat._ "

" _Where?_ " Shalamorn asked. " _Why didn't we hear from then until now?_ "

" _I was the only one who dared to come see you_ ," Ilf replied proudly. " _We heard of the witch and her powers._ " He gave Neri another look." _She even turned Princess Shersheba against Malakat._ "

"Shersheba realised that Malakat's doing was evil," Jason tossed in. "She wanted to do the right thing. That's why she turned on him."

" _I knew you would say that_ ," Ilf told him mockingly after Mera had translated his words to him. " _She charmed you, made you her puppet_. _But soon you will realise, they are all false snakes_!"

Neri watched Ilf thoughtfully and Shalamorn gave the guards a sign.

"Bring him away," she told them quietly. "And make sure, he has enough water and food," she added, giving her daughter a glance.

"Huh," Brett made from the screen. "Confusion doesn't cover it. More like paranoia."

"But at least, now we know with which kind of lies we have to deal with," Mera said.

"It's all turned upside down in his head," Neri murmured and exchanged a glance with her mother.

Shalamorn nodded. "Then we have to make this right again."


	32. Chapter 32

"Ilf?" Shersheba repeated. "No, that doesn't sound familiar."

Jason leant on the altar, his upper body resting on his palms, his arms outstretched.

"He said, the Red Virus was just propaganda to frame Malakat."

Shersheba's shoulders dropped and she sighed. "Well, I was certainly shocked when I found out."

"But nevertheless, you kept supporting him," Mera accused her angrily.

Shersheba closed her eyes and shrank. "I still believed his lies," she murmured, "that our planet was going down anyway and that he just wanted to force the parliament to act. He made it sound perfectly sensible."

"Thousands died right in front of me," Mera yelled at the screen. "How could you consent this? You even released the virus on Earth!"

"He said," Shersheba defended herself, "all he needed was the pyramid on Earth to create an antidote. I wanted to force him to start with that!"

"And that makes it okay?" Mera shot her a nasty look and opened her mouth again for another reproach but Jason cut her.

"Just give her a break already, Mera," he told her and Mera stared at him in shock. "We've been through with all this! Shersheba has been brainwashed just like Ilf."

Mera was now openly angry at him. "Have you forgotten...?"

"I haven't," he cut her again. "But we have to stop casting blame and focus on the problems right now."

"Jason is right," Neri said and squeezed Mera's shoulder to calm her down. "We have to look forward, not back."

Mera gave her a smile but Jason could tell, she was not ready to let this go. Something was clearly bothering her and the certain feeling that it wasn't necessarily about Shersheba was dawning to him. The more he thought about Mera's behaviour lately, the more he began to assume that she held some sort of grudge against him. It was a random shot but he decided to tell her occasionally that there was no reason to be suspicious about Shersheba and him. But right now he had to focus on more important things.

"Shersheba," Neri asked her directly, "you have an idea where they could be?"

"This is difficult," Shersheba replied. "Back then, we never had to hide. The thought of a secret place to retreat certainly never occurred to me."

"Can't you think of any place? A lonely island? A deserted province?" Jason suggested but Shersheba shook her head.

"They came to us from all over the globe," she explained. "Are you sure Ilf spoke of one place particularly?"

"Not particularly, no," Shalamorn replied. "It was more like an implication."

"Well, Malakat came from a rich family," Shersheba said. "I know, his people owned some places in the Helal province, even a small palace, and that they spent a lot of money to support some of the smaller temples close to it."

"Wouldn't that be too obvious?" Jason pointed out.

"Yes and no," Mera said gloomily.

"It's a very old forest," Shalamorn explained grim-faced. "The buildings lay deep in the jungle."

"Sounds like a trap to me," Jason pointed out and crossed his arms. "Maybe, Ilf got himself arrested on purpose."

"Nevertheless," Shalamorn replied, "a visit seems inevitable. Ilf spoke of many. Maybe, they're planning an invasion on their own."

Shersheba nodded. "If Malakat gave them the place, he might also give them the resources for such an enterprise. It sounds just like him have an alternate plan at hand."

"Then we have no time to lose," Neri pointed out. "We have to go!"

Jason shook his head and opened his arms to rest them on his hips. "Quite the opposite! Think of it," he added when Neri gave him a startled look, "why should they set a trap for us if they already had everything they needed?"

"Jason has a point," Shersheba said.

"So what shall we do then?" Mera asked, frowning. "Just leave them be?"

"No," Shalamorn answered, "Jason is right but we have to act on this. But we may have enough time to think this through." She started pacing up and down."The area is thick with high trees, the sight clouded by epiphytes and the paths almost impassable. It will be difficult to get through unseen with the guards ..."

"No guards!"

They turned to Neri simultaneously. Shalamorn had frozen in her pacing, her forehead in deep wrinkles.

"No guards," Neri repeated. "I will go alone."

Shersheba and Shalamorn gave her a look as if she had lost it but Jason and Mera exchanged frustrated glances. They knew this kind of decisive tone.

"What do you have in mind?" Jason asked her instead of trying to talk her out of it.

"Ilf says, I'm a witch," Neri explained. "I have to show them they need not fear me. And I will take Ilf with me, so they can see we have not harmed him."

"You willing to risk your life?" Shersheba asked her in disbelief.

"They do not want us dead," Neri said firmly. "Ilf came alone and threw stones."

"Yes, and Jason got hurt," Shersheba reminded her.

Jason sighed. "No, Neri is right. If they are as well equipped as the rebellion used to be, they certainly have weapons and yet Ilf didn't make use of them. They could have attacked us in the villages, but they didn't. They obviously want something and we will never find out what it is if we threaten them. It could be vital to establish lasting peace."

Neri's face lit up and she looked at him as if she wanted to throw herself into his arms.

"Don't get too excited," he told her, slightly smirking. "You are certainly not going on your own."


	33. Chapter 33

Of course, it was a trap but Jason was yet surprised, for they seemed to appear out of nowhere.

The jungle was thick and he just had followed Neri and Mera on the nearly invisible path through ferns and shrubs, the soil covered with wet grass and moss.

Ilf led the way. Until they had really reached the borders of Helal, he wouldn't believe them. He didn't deny anymore that his arresting had been a coincidence. The looks he gave the princesses were of unintended respect. To be treated kindly although his hostile intentions surely astonished him. The glances Ilf shot at Jason were undefined but Jason figured it was a slight progress at least, compared to the flouting gazes he had given him before.

The soldiers wore the tight military uniforms they had already had back in the days on their invasion on ORCA but still melted with their environment.

" _I didn't think you would really come_ ," their captain said. " _And no guards? You're braver than I imagined_."

Mera looked at him but he just nodded shortly. He didn't understand yet every word but he got the main part and figured the rest. He felt a hint of proud realising he started to understand the native tongue way faster than expected. But Iszra had told him that their spoken language was an easy to learn compared to the languages on Earth. Communicating on the Ocean Planet did go a lot by gesturing and the telepathy made in sometimes even redundant.

" _I'm glad to see you're alright_ ," the captain told Ilf who greeted him with a clap on the shoulder. " _Take the human into custody!_ "

Neri and Mera opened their mouths in protest when two guards grabbed him but Jason gestured them to stop. They tied up his hands in the back but he stayed calm. There was no way he could fight them and also he had already guessed they would come for him first. He was Neri's weakest spot and the rebels knew.

" _Don't worry_ ," the captain smiled mockingly but turned serious then. " _Your heart won't be harmed._ "

Obviously, they didn't think much of him as a human but being Neri's partner still seemed to matter to them.

The captain turned around and they went deeper into the forest. The warm air was damp and heavy, making his hair frizzy. Soon his clothes clenched on him. He had started sweating and thick drops of water fell off the leaves above them now and them. They felt comfortably cool on his skin.

He had lost any sense of time, for the sweet scent in the air made him feel a little dizzy. It felt like hours had gone by when they abruptly halted.

" _Welcome to Helal_ ," the captain said and lead them onto a wide glade.

It didn't matter though they were in hostile territory. Jason would never lose his fascination for this planet and he was certainly fascinated by this rebel base.

The village was _in_ the trees.

Above their heads, the tree houses were built over several levels, formed by platforms, stairs and bridges. The sight put him back into his childhood, for this was definitely the kind of adventurous playground he always had dreamed of back then.

"Fantastic," he murmured startled and enthusiastic.

He couldn't tell if the captain spoke English or just got his astonishment by the look on his face but he wiggled his eyebrows and his lips curled up in a self-satisfied smirk.

The people of the village stopped in their businesses to stare at them, most with curiosity, some with insecurity, few openly hostile. The majority of them were no soldiers but common people in the typical floating, bright coloured clothes. There were whole families and children were running around. Those of them who dared to come closer examined them with defiant looks as if proving them their bravery.

Jason winked and grinned at them and a boy unintentionally smiled back, then caught himself by doing so and fled with a startled face. Some of the children laughed at the boy but some of the parents immediately seemed to have the urge to protect their offspring. They called out to the children or stepped forward to pull them away from the newcomers.

His attention was drawn away when three figures in elegant robes approached them. The two middle-aged men and the elderly woman in their midst showed no sign of fear or hostility but didn't look very friendly either.

"Princess Neri," the grey-haired woman started and surprised them with her flawless English, "the official heir to the throne of our beloved planet. Princess Mera, child regent. And Jason Bates," she said, looking at him now, "protector and advisor of the royal family."

There was no mock in her voice and Jason figured she certainly demonstrated respect by using his language.

"I am High Councillor Zheri, and these are Councillor Pietre, – " she nodded to her right to the dark-skinned man with long black hair in braids, – "and Councillor Shekat," nodding to the man with short brown hair standing left to her.

"High Councillor Zheri, Councillor Pietre. Councillor Shekat," Neri repeated and bent her head in respect in each direction. Jason and Mera mirrored her gesture.

"We came here to talk," Mera said. "We don't want any more conflict between our people."

"Unfortunately," Councillor Pietre replied, "it doesn't matter to us what you want and what you don't. This is about what _the people_ want."

" _You are right_ ," Jason said and using the native tongue he certainly got their attention. He hesitated shortly while searching for the right words. He had no intention of embarrassing himself in front of all those people and if he succeeded they might be able to win some ground. He decided to do the easiest version. Hopefully, his simple choice of words wouldn't be interpreted as a sign of disrespect. " _No talking, but listening. We will listen to what the people want._ "

Neri gave him an affectionate smile. Shekat's eyes narrowed. The faces of Zheri and Pietre gave no sign of emotion but simply nodded.

Abruptly, the guards who held him in their grip took a step away from him and someone cut the robes at his wrinkles.

"We'll see to that," Pietre said. "Follow us."


	34. Chapter 34

The tree house was surprisingly spacey and comfortably furnished with dark tapestry. They kneeled around a low square table. They had been provided with water and food and the councillors had watched them patiently serving themselves. Neri and Mera had instantly poured water all over themselves. Jason couldn't tell what the councillors thought of him just drinking it. He had the impression Pietre was slightly amused but he wasn't sure.

" _We want Malakat_ ," Zheri said without a warning.

Jason swallowed his reply. Something told him to better leave the talking to the girls.

" _There is no way we can deliver him to you_ ," Mera responded. " _But you knew that_."

" _You know what evil he has done_ ," Neri added, " _and what evil he had planned for the future._ "

" _We only know the lies Shalamorn keeps telling the people_ ," Shekat replied harshly.

" _These are no lies_ ," Neri said insistently. " _He kept my mother as a prisoner_."

" _He did what he thought was best for our people_ ," Zheri responded calmly. " _Shalamorn is weak. An idealistic, naïve fool! She would have let her folks die, prioritising the survival of a primitive species over her own_."

She didn't look at him but simply ignored Jason completely.

" _There was never any imminent danger to our planet,_ " Mera said. " _Malakat was the one who poisoned the oceans in the first place_."

The three pairs of eyes instantly grew hard and cold.

" _And who told you that?_ " Sherkat asked. " _Shersheba? The traitor?_ "

" _Shersheba wasn't able to lead our people anymore_ ," Pietre tossed in. " _Her position got weaker, so she framed Malakat to stay in power._ "

Irritation rushed through him and Jason had to force himself to keep his mouth shut. Their ignorance and their twisting of the facts strengthened the urge to defend Shersheba, to set things straight.

Neri shot him a quick glance. " _Shersheba was afraid for her people_ ," she said. " _Malakat just wanted power. He did not care about people_."

" _He told us himself_ ," Mera added. " _When our mother confronted him he told a room full of people that all he did was just a gambling to get control over the pyramid on Earth_."

" _And whom do you think he did it for, child regent?_ " Zheri replied, now with a hint of anger. " _He needed it to produce an antidote for the Red Virus_."

" _Which he created himself!_ " Mera exclaimed. " _And he was already in control of the pyramid for weeks. He could have started with the antidote right away but instead, it took releasing it into Earth's oceans by Shersheba_."

" _Lies! Propaganda!_ " Sherkat hissed. " _Malakat served the common people. He would never poison our own planet!_ "

" _Why don't we talk about the_ real _crimes against the people of the Oceanplanet?_ " Zheri asked them with a challenging expression. " _Queen Shalamorn allowed taking the synchronium away from us. And you wasted it on Earth!_ "

" _Saving lives is never a waste_ ," Mera shot back.

The argument went on but they spoke so fast now, Jason could not longer keep up. The tension in the room rose and the anger was showing even on Zheri's face, who had seemed to be in control of any emotions before.

" _Stop_ ," Neri said finally – very gently but yet she had everybody's attention. " _This is not helping_ ," Neri ran on. " _Neither us, nor our people. This is not about Malakat, Shersheba, my mother, or the mistakes they made._ "

" _And how do you suggest, we go on, Your Highness?_ " Pietre wanted to know. " _It's the mistakes which lead us here._ "

" _But it is not what will lead us forward_."

" _Nicely said_ ," Sherkat replied mockingly, " _but I can't see how. We still believe in Malakat and we won't accept Shalamorn's reign, not to speak of yours_."

" _My sister is the Chosen One_ ," Mera exclaimed.

" _Chosen by whom?_ " Pietre intervened calmly. " _And what for? By your – admittedly – strong gifts as a saviour?_ " He turned to Neri directly. " _Do you also believe that?_ "

Neri hesitated. " _I don't care for titles,_ " she replied. " _I care for the well-being of the people. I want to serve my people in the best way I can and if you think, I will not serve them well as Queen, I accept this._ "

Jason exchanged a look with Mera, who seemed just as startled and shocked as him. She opened her mouth but Neri cut her with a gesture and ran on.

" _But I was born as the daughter to my mother_ , _the anointed Queen of the Oceanplanet,_ " she said firmly and even though she didn't move, she somehow grew and her presence filled the room. " _So it were the Ancient Ones who chose me. To your eyes, I might be young and naïve, maybe even foolish, but I still believe in the kindness of our people. We have an obligation to protect and preserve life itself where we can. This task had been given to us by the Ancient Ones and the only way to do that task justice is together._ "

" _Spoken as a true princess of the Oceanplanet_ ," Zheri said after a few seconds of thoughtful silence. " _I honour your words. Maybe you have the potential to be a great Queen after all. But the fact remains, that you spent nearly all your life on Earth. You even chose a human as your man, –_ " she gave Jason a quick look, " _so forgive me if I still doubt your devotion to the people of the Oceanplanet, for your devotion to Earth seems so much stronger. May I remind you, when our people needed you, you sent your sister._ "

" _Yes_ ," Neri replied. " _I chose to fulfil my father's mission._ "

" _One of many choices in support of your father_ ," Sherkat responded, " _not of your mother, as it should have been. I heard Earth People have a long history of men's dominion. To me, it sounds like you have adopted more of their ways than you are willing to admit._ "

Jason grew more frustrated with every minute passing by. This dance of diplomacy led nowhere. They put Neri's questions into question while it should have been the other way round. Trapping Neri in this corner was clever, though, for as long as she was in the defence, they kept having the upper hand in any negotiation.

A guard appearing at the door brought him back to reality. "We have another visitor," he informed the councillors.


	35. Chapter 35

Most people of the village were asleep. Guards were patrolling the bigger bridges between the platforms and the glade on the ground. Torches had been lit on the balustrades, putting everything into a warm glow.

It had started to rain but it was still warm and the scent of moist soil was now even stronger. The sound of thick rain drops sloshing onto the big leaves around them, now and then splashing his skin, had a calming effect although Jason didn't feel yet like sleeping.

He leant on the balustrade outside the hut, they had been giving to sleep in. The extended roof kept him from getting too wet.

Two warm arms were wrapped around him from behind and he found himself smiling, despite his heavy mind. Neri rested her cheek on his shoulder, her hair tickling his neck. He bent his head slightly, so it touched hers and covered her arms with his.

"You worry about her," she noticed his emotional state.

"Yes," he murmured and carefully turned around, so he wouldn't break their embrace. "She came here to help us, although she knew they wouldn't be exactly thrilled to see her."

"Shersheba came here for you," Neri argued.

"Does it matter?"

He shot a look at the hut where they had sat in today with the councillors.

"No." Neri looked down, her expression troubled.

He sighed and took her face into his hands, stroking her cheeks with his thumbs.

"She is just trying to make things right," he said quietly. "You are the only one for me, the only one I wanna be with. Can you trust me in this?"

Her eyes lit up. Her smile was weak but affectionate and sincere. She nodded and he bent down to kiss her. Her arms around him tightened immediately, telling him that although she tried she still struggled with jealousy.

 _Where is that coming from?_ , he asked himself while he moved his lips over and against hers. _When did I give her reason to doubt me?_

He stopped thinking when she loosened her grip on his waist and her hands started travelling over his chest. Her fingertips reached his throat, then his neck. His skin prickled and his heartbeat sped up.

He deepened the kiss, placing a hand on the back of her head, his fingers buried in her hair. Gently, he tugged at her bottom lip and Neri pulled him closer. She kept caressing his neck while her other arm was suddenly around his waist again, closing any space left between them. With the tip of her tongue, she stroke over his upper lip and he met her tongue halfway.

The soft touch of the warm flesh sent a wave of desire through him. His interior felt as if melted together in the rush of longing and burning need. Their tongues encircled each other, their pace speeding up.

He felt her breasts at his chest through the textile of her dress, her warmth through the thin material of his T-shirt and certainly, she could feel his arousal.

He didn't care.

This felt too good. Every brush of their tongues sent a hot shiver down his spine. Electricity was crawling through every inch of his body.

He inhaled her scent, let his hands sliding down at her sides to rest on her waist, awfully and at the same time blissfully close to her breasts.

She moved slightly and a moan escaped him when she brushed against his erection.

He broke the kiss. "Neri," he murmured against her lips, but she cut him by covering his mouth again.

Both her hands now working their way under the fabric of his shirt, running over the skin of his bare chest. Her tongue demanded access and he let her enter her mouth again. His hands had unintentionally crawled higher and were suddenly right under her breasts, his thumbs already touching the outlines.

It took every bit of willpower he had left to regain control over himself. He forced his hands to stop working on their own, realising how close he had been to lose it completely. Even now his imagination was running wild, picturing him pinning Neri at the wall of the hut, her legs wrapped around his hips.

He broke the kiss, holding her gently in place while retreating. Her eyes were dark, her gaze intense with desire and lust. Something about this sight made him feel uncomfortable and brought him back for good.

Their kisses became more intense, more dangerous every time. He instantly decided to never let their touches escalate like this anymore.

Confusion and hurt took over Neri's face, and she withdrew her hands from his skin. Her eyes were shiny and regret washed through him.

"Why you do not want me?" she whispered.

He pulled her into a tight embrace, shaking his head. "No, no, no," he replied, cupping her face with his hands, locking eyes with her. "No," he repeated, then rested his forehead on hers.

"I want you," he whispered against her lips. "I want you badly. Don't you sense that?"

"Yes, but there are so many feelings," She touched his chest above his shirt. "But why always stop then?"

"Because this is not the right time or the right place," he responded and retreated an inch to look at her. "I just don't want to rush things."

Neri frowned and smiled wryly to his relief. "We have never _rushed_ things."

He took her hands on his chest into his and smirked. "Exactly. I don't wanna start right now with all this chaos and conflict surrounding us," he explained to her and squeezed her hands. "You are special, Neri," he ran on, "and what we have, is special. I don't want to make it small, tear it down to a level where we just take an opportunity between two appointments because it's the only time we have for each other right now."

She mirrored his smile, her expression comprehensive and relieved. "So, you still love me?"

"Of course, I love you, silly," he replied and nudged her nose with his. "Always have. Always will." He brushed his lips gently against hers. "I'm so proud of you. You were so strong today."

Her smile flickered. "Not strong enough."

"We'll get there," Jason promised and wrapped his arms around her. She hugged him back instantly, her head buried in his neck. "We just need to convince them somehow of Malakat's true face," he thought out loud. He stroked her hair, shoving the bangs behind her shoulder, his fingertips running over the skin of her neck.

She didn't respond and for a while, they stood in silence, lost in thought, just listening to the pouring rain. He closed his eyes, enjoying the warmth of her body against his. His heart was pounding and his insides were jolting just by the joy of feeling her so close to him.

It was Mera who disturbed this moment when she stepped out of the hut, followed by a guard.

"They want to see us," she told them.

Neri and Jason exchanged a quick regretting look, then he sighed and they broke apart.


	36. Chapter 36

"A trial?" Pietre repeated, frowning.

Jason found himself at the centre of attention, realising he had said it out loud.

He had lost any sense of time in the heavy discussion. The councillors had accused them of brainwashing Shersheba. Many other accusations had been thrown in each direction and the dialogue had been turned into an argument, constantly circling around the same things over and over again.

Jason hadn't been able to keep up with every word and offence that had been tossed in, but they were certainly going nowhere.

Now every pair of eyes in the room was on him and the sudden silence felt heavy.

"Yes," he replied hesitantly, "a due process. A lawsuit."

"We are familiar with the concept," Zheri snapped annoyed. "A lawsuit against whom?"

"Isn't it obvious?"

"Shalamorn already exiled Malakat," Sherkat responded. "Even if you get her to agree, what makes you think we consent?"

"On Earth, we act up to the principle 'innocent until proven guilty'," Jason explained.

Zheri snorted. "This is the Planet of Oceans. We handle things differently."

"Then how you intend to handle things?" Jason asked challengingly. "Do you seriously believe you can achieve anything with your rebellion? By going against the anointed Queen you're undermining the very foundations your society is built on. You're just ripping it apart."

Zheri's eyes flashed infuriated but Pietre cut her with a wink of his hand.

"Go on," he told Jason.

"You're trying to do what's best for the people," Jason ran on, "and that's what we do, as well. The only way, we can finally start rebuilding our home worlds is by pulling together, not apart. A fair trial to hear out both sides might be the first step to convincing each other of our good intentions."

"The outcome wouldn't change," Sherkat argued. "Shalamorn will still find him guilty, no matter what we say."

"Shalamorn won't be a judge."

Zheri and Sherkat stared at him open-mouthed. Neri and Mera exchanged a confused look.

"What?" Mera mouthed.

Only Pietre remained calm and nodded slowly as if he had already expected that.

"You can't be judge _and_ witness in the same trial," Jason continued. "And when it comes to her own abduction, Shalamorn is clearly the primary witness."

"Who is going to be the judge then?" Sherkat asked warily after regaining his composure.

"Maybe you, Councillor," Jason responded, then gave the other councillors a glance. "Maybe you as well."

The expressions on their faces changed immediately, losing in defiance and gaining in curiosity.

"Is that how you do lawsuits on Earth?" Pietre wanted to know. "With several judges?"

"Sometimes, yes," Jason replied. "Sometimes we also have a jury of impartial men and woman."

"Impartial?" Sherkat tossed in frowningly. "In this case, no one is impartial."

"Are you trying to mess with us?" Zheri asked furiously. "This still sounds like a total set-up to me. How can we be sure this jury or this set of judges won't be consisting of the majority of your people?"

"Because the majority won't matter," Jason explained. "This is the key: the final vote, the final verdict has to be decided unanimously."

"Like this is going to happen," Mera murmured but fell silent on Jason's gaze.

"I don't say it's gonna be easy," he ran on, "but it's a chance at least. Both sides will hand in a list of suggestions for judges, and a list of witnesses who testify for or against Malakat. The decision will be made in a common discussion."

"Sounds reasonable to me," Pietre responded, and exchanged a look with his colleagues in silent communication. Jason found himself to like this man in his calm way.

"We will discuss your suggestion," Sherkat said hesitantly, obviously feeling uncomfortable with this concession. "You may return to your quarter."

* * *

"Are you out of your mind?" Mera asked him reproachfully the second the guard had left them alone. "How can you appeal against Mother's judgement? You put her authority into question, right in front of them!"

"Open your eyes, Mera," Jason threw back. "Things have changed. The people on the Oceanplanet start to make choices on their own and if we don't encourage them in this development, we will lose any ground we have left."

"Jason is right, sister," Neri said, touching Mera's arm. "People are angry because their voices were not heard in the past. We have to give them voice again."

Jason wrapped his arm around Neri's waist. "That's exactly where I was getting at," he told them. "We have enough evidence so there's no way, Malakat is found innocent. But they will remember we included them. So no matter the outcome, we will have won and finally get some conclusion."

Neri smiled affectionately at him but Mera chew her cheek, her face a grim mask.

"If we really gonna take this through," she said, locking eyes with Jason, "Malakat's verdict is not the only one which has to be reviewed. Shersheba has also to be held accountable for her crimes."

Jason felt Neri slightly flinching, her gaze on him. Certainly, she had felt his heart sank by Mera's words. Somehow, he had begun to develop a bond of affection towards Shersheba, even though it was a weak one.

"If she really changed, if she is _really_ sorry for what she's done," Mera ran on firmly, "then she will agree to this, as well."

"Fine," he replied after a second of hesitation, "but I will tell her."


	37. Chapter 37

Shersheba sat on her knees on the floor. Her hands were tied up behind her back and a blindfold lay around her neck. She seemed shaken but unharmed.

Her eyes lit up when she recognised him. "Jason!"

He waited until the guard had laid down the plate with food in front of her, cut the robe around her wrinkles and left the hut.

"You're okay?" he wanted to know while sitting down cross-legged on the floor as for the lack of chairs.

She rubbed her wrinkles and nodded. "Yes. I certainly didn't expect them to make me their princess again but after meeting with Merein again, I kinda hoped..."

"Yeah," he replied when she didn't finish the sentence. "I know what you mean."

She grabbed a piece of bread. "I tried to explain to them what really happened with Malakat. What he did. His true motives."

She took a bite and chew before she ran on. "They twisted every word I said. They must have been brainwashed, even before we went down to Earth the first time."

"Well, they accuse you of being brainwashed by us," Jason responded.

"I feel so stupid," Shersheba murmured. "It took Malakat one word and they all turned against me. How could I not see this?"

She gave him an apologising look. "I'm sorry," she said quickly. "I know we had a deal."

Jason shrugged. "That's alright. Coming here made me realise leaving the past behind is much more difficult than I thought. Malakat's spirit imprinted itself on your people. It's spreading like poison, making it somehow impossible to find closure, leaving huge scars at least."

"Scars are usually not for the worst," Shersheba took over his line of thoughts. "They remind you of the mistakes you made. Remind you of the pain. We have to make them feel it again somehow. And make them see it's Malakat who is causing it."

She took another bite.

"We might just found the way to do that," he said slowly and she looked up from her bread.

* * *

"And they really agreed with this?" she asked after he had finished explaining his idea.

Jason shook his head. "No, not yet. But I hope they will reach a decision soon. Preparing such a trial will require a lot of time. We'll have to sight a lot of evidence, and talk to witnesses ..."

"I will testify against Malakat," she promised.

"That will certainly help your case." The words escaped him before he could stop himself.

The realisation about what they meant for her was dawning on her face, the shock making him want to slap himself. This was not the way, he had intended to give her the bad news.

"Shersheba," he started ruefully, "I'm sorry, I ..."

"No," she cut him quietly, her shoulders sagged. Obviously lost of appetite, she put the piece of bread back on the plate.

"I know this wasn't your decision," she said in a sad tone, "but it would have been more decent if the child regent had told me herself instead of sending you once again for the dirty work."

"No, it's not like that," he assured her. "I wanted to tell you myself. I'm sorry for doing it so insensitively."

She gave him a sad smile. "Bad news are never delivered in a comfortable way."

"Yeah, but I still feel like I'm sort of betraying you," he replied. "I mean, you're trying so hard and I just throw it back into your face like nothing's changed."

"It's not you," Shersheba said gently. "Mera has been on my case ever since. I knew she would come at me if she found a way."

Jason sighed. "I'm afraid this is somehow not just about you personally but more about me."

"About you?" she asked startled. "What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything," he responded and tucked up his legs, arms wrapped around his knees. "Lately, Neri is ..." … _feeling jealous and Mera implied there is something going on between us._

"Mera thinks, you took me the Archali Islands on purpose," he changed his reply to a less personal level. "She told me that the blue pollen is also so be found in the air. Explained the effects, _all t_ he effects."

He couldn't help slightly blushing and the knowing smirk of Shersheba certainly made things worse.

"Ah," she made, and he avoided her gaze. "She thinks I took you there to seduce you."

"Yeah," he murmured, uncomfortably shifting on the ground. When he finally made eye contact again, her mocking smirk had disappeared. Instead, she watched him with a serious expression.

"If I tried to seduce you," she said slowly, "be assured, you'd be fully conscious."

"Thanks," he replied, trying to get the heat out of his cheeks, unsure if to feel better or worse.

"Jason, I know how you men of Earth think about extramarital mating," Shersheba added. "And I doubt, Neri would consent. If I can ever hope to reinstate my status and reputation, I certainly won't succeed by trying to get my future queen's heart in the sack!"

Her light tone and her unusually colloquial words made him grin. "I know you didn't take me to the temple intentionally," he responded then. "Maybe in the past, you would have tried that, but you changed. Sooner or later Mera will acknowledge that as well."

"You really believe that?" she wanted to know. "That I changed?"

He nodded. "Yes, and you know what? You set me straight. You were honest with me when I needed it. And the promise we gave each other … If overcoming such kind of personal struggle is a step made together if that doesn't make us friends, what does?"

"Friends?" she mouthed, her voice slightly shaking, her face at the same time hopeful and disbelieving. "You're not messing with me, are you, Jason? To get me to agree to the trial?" She leant forward. "That's not necessary. I'm gonna do it either way."

"I know," Jason replied, "and I'll help you get through it. Because as for my part, I am your friend, Shersheba."

Her heartfelt smile was so radiant it was infectious. Shersheba had always been an eye-catcher but now, with no arrogance left, she seemed even prettier to him.

Slightly embarrassed, he looked the other way to avoid turning red again, searching his mind for something to say to change the subject.

"What does _heart_ actually mean?" he wanted to know. "First, I thought, it means partner or something, but people keep calling me that, emphasising it in this certain way."

Her expression changes into confusion and disbelief again. "They didn't tell you?" she asked, frowning.

He had certainly not expected to leave this room overly happy after bringing the bad news to Shersheba. But when he finally inhaled the fresh night air outside the hut, his stomach felt like as if a knife was slowly turned around in his flesh, cutting his insides into pieces.


	38. Chapter 38

The hut was still empty when he returned. The councillors had allowed them to move around freely in the village and the girls had taken the opportunity to go swimming in a lake nearby.

His insides were in turmoil. What Shersheba just told him should have made him happy. But instead, he felt left out again. Decisions had been made without his consent, even without asking him. Some things were obviously taken for granted like the empathetic bond. He could see past that. But Mera – and especially Neri! – should know him better right now than keep on letting him finding out important pieces of information on his own.

Anger, cold disappointment, frustration and hurt kept swirling around in his belly. He couldn't tell which of the stones in his heart was heavier: the ones made of ice or those made of hot anger.

It was Mera entering the hut, making the choice for him. Her hair and her dress were drenched. She stopped dead, and he took a deep breath to stop himself from starting the conversation by yelling at her. She made use of that short pause.

"What did Shersheba tell you?" she wanted to know, her face defiant but calm.

"This has nothing to do with her," her snapped, his voice trembling with irritation. Mera's constant hammering away on Shersheba and the assumption Shersheba was to be blamed for everything going wrong, infuriated him to a point where he wasn't even able anymore to focus. There was so much he wanted to say to her and yet every thought was clenched into one tangle, stuck in his throat.

"I'm so sick of you constantly bashing her!" he finally managed to press out between his teeth. "She is trying, Mera. She already gives herself a hard time and you're not making it any easier for her to make up for her mistakes by throwing back everything against her."

Mera watched him thoughtfully. "How can you be so sure, she is not fooling you again?"

"She is different now," he started, realising how lame this sounded.

The moment of laughter they had shared right before going to the temple had been a moment of an own kind of intimate. How could he make someone who did not witness understand? Or what it meant to him?

"She played you once before, Jason. Remember?" Mera said gently, maybe somehow getting a hint of his feelings. She had not Neri's abilities, but Jason had no doubt, Mera was still reasonably skilled. "Neri surely hasn't forgotten!"

Jason put his hands on his hips. "What does Neri have to do with this? She is the first one to give second chances."

"Yes, usually she would be."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

Mera sighed. "It means, she is also a woman. And she is terrified of losing you!"

"To Shersheba?" he asked startled. "This is never going to happen! The reason why I am starting to lose faith in our relationship is because she keeps me in the dark."

"About what?" Mera asked just as loud as he had gotten in the last sentence.

"Oh, I don't know," he replied in a sarcastic tone. "Oh yeah, right! That we're married?"

Mera stared at him open-mouthed, then slowly closing it. She took a breath and took a step towards him.

"You are not married," she stated.

"I just found out what _heart_ means."

"Did you let Shersheba finish or did you just storm out?"

He glared at her but she just lifted her eyebrows.

"Yes, you are Neri's heart but she is not yours, Jason. Not yet. I guess this is why she didn't tell you."

He shook his head. "I don't understand. How can this work one way?"

"She is fully committed to you. But you keep holding back. You keep your distance."

"What do you mean...?" he murmured, but the heat was already flushing his cheeks. He sat down on the nearest bed, avoiding her glance.

"You know exactly, what I mean," she interpreted his reaction just right, her head bent to the side. "First I thought, it's because of the empathy. And you're right, this is the reason, why sex is not considered to be intimate. We don't get every detail, don't worry," she added quickly, smiling wryly at his glowing face.

She crossed the distance between them in two steps and sat down next to him.

"Most of it is just a distant echo and believe me, Mother and me, we don't really focus on what you're doing at night."

As he looked up, she locked eyes with him.

"But the cold showers you're giving her every time are hard to miss. You're hurting her with your behaviour."

He sighed, his anger completely gone. "We talked about it, just before I went to see the councillors."

"Jason, this is not about sex," Mera said quietly. "That's just a symptom. You're not _all in_ yet. And that's the reason I keep coming at you lately."

"Really?" he asked ironically. "I didn't notice that."

She smiled apologetically, then got to her feet. "I'll leave you two alone."

She gave him another smirk before slipping out of the hut, passing by Neri, who stood at the entrance.

"Hey," he said gently. "You had a good swim?"

Neri smiled and nodded. "I played with children."

She turned serious and examined him with concern.

"You were angry."

He nodded and rose from the bed. "Yes. I just found out that _heart_ doesn't mean boyfriend or something, but spouse. Husband."

"And you're not happy?"

A statement, not a question.

"Maybe, if I had heard it from you," he replied and shrugged.

"You never ask me."

"Actually," he corrected, "you never asked me."

"Would you have say yes?"

The question hit him unexpected, and the way her face darkened told him she already knew the answer.

"I'm starting to feel like a fool," he whispered, his shoulders slouched. "Everyone else knew but me. It's humiliating. And it keeps happening."

"I feel the same, Jason," she responded gently, but firm. "You make me feel same way about us."

His heart sank. "What?"

She took a step towards him. "This _relationship_ ," she tried the word and went on, locking eyes with him, "is about you and me. And yet you talk to Mother, to Mera," – she hesitated shortly, – "to Shersheba. But not me."

She waited for the words to sink in and his response but he found himself out of words.

"I don't know what to say," he confessed whispering. "Except maybe, that I feel this constant urge to protect you. Even from myself, or especially myself. I never wanted to push you away."

Neri approached him and cupped his cheeks with her hands.

"I am not little girl anymore," she told him. "I don't need you to protect me. You are the one who is afraid."

"Afraid of what?" he wanted to know, closing his eyes when she caressed his cheeks with her thumbs.

"That I cannot say."

She withdrew her hands, and he opened his eyes again. She had taken two steps away from him. The distance hurt.


	39. Chapter 39

The people of the village had come to see them leave. There was still a lot of tension in the air but at least the looks they gave them, were no longer hostile.

The councillors hadn't come to a final decision yet and Jason reckoned it would take them a while. Political decision-making on the Oceanplanet seemed to be just as tedious as on Earth. Both sides had signalled willingness to cooperate and listen which was more than he had hoped for.

Only one demand of the councillors bothered him.

"Are you really okay with this?" he wanted to know.

Shersheba nodded. She no longer wore any kind of bonds but the way the guards stood around her, following her every movement, still made it pretty clear that she was a prisoner.

"Yes. Don't worry. I won't be harmed," she assured him with a smile.

He resisted the urge to take her hand or hug her goodbye. Although he and Neri had cleared the air the night before, much was left to solve – mostly on his part. Problem just was, he had no idea where to start looking for his issues, not to speak of overcoming them. And displaying affection for Shersheba would certainly not be very helpful in restoring Neri's faith in him.

"Take care," he said instead, hoping she would get the genuine concern.

They escorted them back through the woods. Jason kept focusing on his steps, his mind soon occupied with flashes of the conversation he and Neri had the night before.

Afraid? Afraid of Neri? Of their relationship or its consequences?

During the years, the missions they had carried out had grown graver and more difficult with every task. A handful of kids against an overly ambitious scientist. It had been Hellegren's ambition, his fear of someone finding out about Neri before him, that kept her safe from the public.

The treasure hunt for the synchronium had been fun for the most part. But they had almost failed in the end.

Malakat had almost brought war upon them, and if everything would go public now without proper preparation, he might yet be successful.

Jason was no longer a sidekick, he realised. He had become a key figure, as Rugeaux had prophesied.

Was that it? Afraid of failing as Neri's partner? Afraid of the upcoming tasks according to this position? Was there a secret part of him hoping to somehow escape the responsibility?

He caught himself shaking his head slightly in disagreement with the latter. He had always known what he got himself into and had never any intention of bailing. Not so long ago, he had told Senator De Souza so. And where was he supposed to go anyway?

No childish games anymore. No kidding around. This was too big to escape.

He gave Neri who walked in front of him a quick look. Their romantic relationship was maybe at odds but he could never leave her alone to deal on her own with this massive weight on her shoulders.

They had reached the forest borders without him noticing. The sudden blinding sunlight drew him out of his thoughts and to the boat which was already waiting for them to take them back.

Boats were rare on the Oceanplanet. Most of them were used for fishing for transport over water was barely needed. Short distances were crossed by swimming, longer distances by the network of water tunnels.

The shore laying ahead of the glittering ocean was close yet too far for Jason to swim. He climbed into the boat, ignoring the mocking smirks from the guards. Humans were obviously still considered to be weak and clumsy.

Neri and Mera joined him, and when the boat was set in motion, the guards had already disappeared between the trees.


	40. Chapter 40

"They still believe in everything Malakat told them," Jason said, "but we certainly caught them in surprise. I think we succeeded in making them think things through."

Some of the Earth Senators sat together on a table. Others had watched their report from an own window on the holographic screen.

"Well," Sokolow said from beside De Souza and Rugeaux, "history taught us that even the tiniest flicker of doubt can make the difference between war and peace."

"It was very brave of you to go visit the lion's cave," Rugeaux added, "but also very dangerous."

"There is no need for that patronising tone," Jason replied. Rugeaux blinked and he regretted his harsh tone immediately. "We knew exactly what we were doing," he went on gentler. "We always handled situations our own way and we are no children anymore."

De Souza crossed her arms with a sour face. "Nevertheless, you should have told us before you went."

"No," Neri said, "it had to be this way. "

"You still don't understand how different we are from you," Mera added. "Planning in case of a deceit is not something we do. The concept is not in our nature. Malakat maybe did change things in the people but we felt they still doubt his way of violence. They are confused and afraid."

"We took a leap of faith and it was rewarded," Shalamorn took over.

"Leap of faith?" De Souza asked sarcastically. "They took a hostage! Sorry to break your illusions, Princess, but these are terrorists you're trying to deal with!"

"I know the policy of the Global Union towards this subject," Jason addressed her, "but we had to go anyway. Terrorists of the Ocean Planet are still preferable to those on Earth. We weren't tortured or something. We came out unharmed and they won't do anything to Shersheba. As much as I hated the idea of leaving her there it might come in handy having a friend in their midst."

"Wasn't this Shersheba Malakat's associate?" Bricks asked. "I always wondered why you let her off the hook so quickly. Are you sure you can trust her?"

"Shersheba made up for her errors," Shalamorn replied in an end-of-discussion tone for which Jason was grateful. "It was thanks to her Malakat could be stopped."

De Souza's eyes were fixed on Jason. He held the gaze until she broke the eye contact to get back to Shalamorn. "We both know," De Souza said, "I don't put a lot of faith in _your_ judgement, Your Majesty. But if Jason calls Shersheba a friend, I might call her an ally – with reservations, of course."

Most of the senators clearly had a hard time to hide their surprise. Rugeaux and Ferrére smirked while Bricks grinned openly.

De Souza ignored them. "When it comes to this trial, we will take our part in it."

The atmosphere in the pyramid's conference room cooled down in an instant.

"They will hardly consent," Shalamorn interjected with a frowned forehead.

"Malakat is standing trial for the crimes he committed on both our planets," De Souza replied relentlessly. "Of course, we will be involved. The people of Earth have every right to take part in seeking justice for their losses."

"You can't be serious!" Mera cried. "They didn't even agree yet to the trial in the first place and you want to involve the public?!"

Even Rugeaux didn't seem to be comfortable with the idea. "We don't know how to break the news to begin with, Katherina. Don't you think we should take one step at a time?"

"Jason," Neri took his arm, "what do you think?"

Jason's and De Souza's eyes met. "You thought about that, too," she stated with a satisfied smirk.

He nodded. If he had had any doubt about the weight of his opinion in this room, the reactions of the senators and the people surrounding him certainly would have him realised it for good.

The total resentment was gone. Despite her still visible reservations, even Mera watched him now with curiosity. The beginning anger in Shalamorn's face had been replaced by a gentler expression.

"Yes, the idea crossed my mind. When the public decides about the grant for asylum it would be of great help if they could direct their fear and anger towards one man or small group of Ocean People," he explained. "It's gonna be difficult enough to convince them not to judge the Ocean People as one enemy."

"It's a good thought," Rugeaux admitted, "but do you really think they will agree to this change of conditions?"

"Actually, they stay the same," Jason replied. "The vote still has to be unanimous. It wouldn't matter so much if half of our party consists of humans."

"I'm afraid it will matter to the council," Shalamorn interjected with a sigh. "They'd rather see things settled between our midst before Earth People are included."

"Things can never be settled _until_ we are included," De Souza said sharply. "Malakat was the one who made an interplanetary conflict out of a civil war situation."

"Yes, it is the right thing to do," Neri tossed in and cut Shalamorn who was about to reply. "So many have suffered from Malakat's doing. Earth and Ocean People. It is a new beginning and we have to make things right. If the councillors are really on our side they will agree."

Jason felt a rush of pride that she caught up his line of thoughts so quickly. He kept himself from touching her although she stood so close to him that probably no one would notice it – except De Souza maybe. But this was no time to be affectionate. He gave her a quick smile instead.

"Well, in my experience," Mera said smirking, "it's no use arguing against the both of them."

"Regarding the recent accomplishment," De Souza replied, seeking eye contact with Jason, "along with others, I tend to share your belief in our intergalactic power couple."

Her comment raised chuckles along the senators. De Souza's tone had been a little teasing but nevertheless, they had won her over. Jason doubted she would ever stop questioning every move they made and challenge Shalamorn every step of the way. But for the moment, they had won her over.

Neri also seemed to remember their conversation about De Souza in Vancouver. She gave him a relieved smile.

"Ok, an interplanetary trial it is," Ferrère summed up. "How shall we proceed until our next meeting?"

"Now we have to wait for the rebels decision," Shalamorn answered. "We will talk to the council and continue to deepen our relationship with our people. We plan to visit some temples and shrines in the next couple of weeks."

Rugeaux nodded. "And we will start the inducting process. We plan to let in chosen scientists of several national and international space agencies like NASA and ESA, especially those involved in projects in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. All those phenomenona in the last couple of years has already raised suspicion. To many, the news will not come surprisingly."

"Please call us if we can be of any assistance," Shalamorn offered.

"We will," Rugeaux replied. "Especially Jason has been proven to be the key to a better understanding. Dr Seth and Paul Bates have already agreed to support our efforts to get in touch with the scientists. It is unfortunate, that Dr Bates is not available at the moment. May I asked what happened?"

"Private reasons," Jason said shortly in a terminating tone. Rugeaux blinked but he went on before she could yet ask another question. "You should contact Dr Hellegren from UBRI as well."

"Hellegren?" De Souza asked frowning. "Wasn't he the scientist who imprisoned your pet whale?"

"Yes, he is," Jason replied.

"And you think he can be trusted?" Rugeaux wanted to know.

"He maybe not but I would trust his daughter with my life."

"Lena is our friend," Neri added. "She kept our secret and risked her life to protect the synchronium."

Bricks blinked. "The synchro... what?"

"Long story," De Souza answered. "I'll fill you in later."

"He didn't tell anyone," Mera said, "and I think he learned his lesson."

"Almost losing his daughter to his own ambition was definitely a wake-up call," Jason agreed.

"As it would be to anyone," De Souza replied quietly, then cleared her throat. "We will contact him."

They ended the call quickly but Neri stared thoughtfully at the communication device. Jason touched her tenderly by the shoulder. "Are you alright?"

"What happened to her daughter?" she wanted to know.

"I don't really know much about that," Jason confessed. "According to an official statement, her daughter Kyla De Souza was at the wrong time at the wrong place. She got hurt during a raid in a club known as a drug dealing platform and ended up paralysed."

"This woman has a lot of anger," Shalamorn sighed.

"Most Earth People do," Mera added.

A loud noise from the communication device prevented them from deepening the conversation, and when Shalamorn answered, a half relieved, half angry Brett appeared before them.

"Finally!" he breathed. "It's been three days – _three bloody days_! – I thought you'd be dead by now! Did it ever occur to you to call?"


	41. Chapter 41

The strange smile, Shalamorn had given him, should have been a warning but the surprise which awaited him was the last thing he would have expected when she had told him about a private phone call for him in his room.

"Mum?"

His voice almost broke. The last two months, he had tried so hard to banish her sudden absence in his life out of his mind and his guts, trying to ignore the stinging pain whenever he thought about her, always wondering why she reacted so much out of her character.

"Hello Jason," Diane said, her eyes glittering. "Oh Darling, I wished I could hug you now."

Instinctively, he took a small towards the screen, then cleared his throat which felt thick. Blinking and swallowing hard, he finally succeeded to regain control over the rush of emotions inside him but still wasn't able to answer.

 _Why did you leave me? I needed you. Where have you been? I missed you. How could you leave us alone? How could you hurt Neri like that?_

"You're right," she went on, obviously noticing the struggle which must be written on his face. "I have a lot of question to answer to, although I'm not sure, I really can."

"Try." Jason defensively crossed his arms. From deep within, a hot anger began to stir him.

Diane's expression changed from love to guilt to pleading. "I should have never left," she whispered. "I am so terribly sorry. I should have never left you alone and I will never forgive myself for what I said to Neri."

"Then why did you?" His tone sounded poisonous in his own ears and Diane flinched. He felt the anger now radiating from him like a toxin leaking out of every pore. "Why did you leave when we needed you the most? Do you have the slightest idea of what we've been through since you decided to take off? I know you didn't like the idea of Neri and me in a serious relationship but _she is my heart_ , and you crushed her! I thought you love her like a daughter. But I guess that kind of love doesn't really much to you since you broke with me as well! I thought, you understood how important all of this is and yet you just ..."

The jumbled questions and accusations poured out of him, his voice getting louder with every word while Diane was shrinking in sync.

"From the start, everything was bigger than us," he cried, "and I thought we were on the same page! Why did you leave? HOW COULD YOU JUST LEAVE?"

The last outburst also threw the last drop of anger at her, leaving him somehow exhausted and hurt. His eyes burned and he had almost no energy left to hold the tears back. He had been so good in closing up all the feelings of being alone and scared to be so.

He had missed her. No day had gone by wishing her to be at his side.

"You have no idea," he whispered slouching, "how it feels to do this without you. Of how much we need to know you're there as it used to be."

Diane wiped her face. "I will be from now on. I love you so much, the both of you. I have never stopped seeing Neri as my daughter since I deleted my data on her."

"I don't get it, Mum," he replied quietly. "You say one thing but your behaviour is somehow else."

"I first didn't either, Jason. Until I realised, that the last time I behaved this irregularly was when I was pregnant with you."

Jason blinked. "What?"

"I lost a good friend back then," Diane blubbered, smiling sadly. "I turned into a lioness, biting everyone around me. Expecting women can be a pain in the ass but I was a nightmare."

Jason sat down on his bed, still processing the news. "You're pregnant?"

Diane bit her lip. "I was. But not for long. I lost it," she continued after a short pause while Jason just looked at her questioning.

"I'm sorry," he muttered. "What happened?"

"Stress, I guess," she grimaced. "With the heightened emotions I felt like drowning. The minute, I left the pyramid, I wanted to come back. I fainted on the floor in ORCA and they brought me to the nursery. When Dr Mince gave me the positive result for the pregnancy, there were so many things racing through my mind at one. But above all, there was this one in particular. The desperate hope to have the chance to at least have one child I wouldn't lose to this intergalactic struggle. One child, I could raise apart. This thought was somehow sticking with me, clouding everything else."

"You know that such a place as _apart_ , doesn't exist?" Jason told her carefully. "The inducing process is about to start. In less than a year, the whole planet will be involved."

Diane nodded. "Yes, Winston told me. And I will do my part. As you know, I have a good reputation in the scientific community." She hesitated. "Of course, only if you'll let me?"

"We need every help we can get," he replied, his voice demure.

"I don't expect you to forgive me," she added quickly, obviously getting his neutral tone. "I can only imagine how much I hurt you. All of you."

"You know Neri," he said and shrugged. "Mera, Shalamorn. I guess they're simply not capable of holding a grudge for long."

"I love you, Jason. I hope, you know that."

"I'm sorry, you lost the child, Mum," he said instead of the reply she was hoping for. "Did Dad know? I mean, he is … "

Diane nodded quickly. "Yes, he is – _was_ the father. To be honest, I think it was for the best. Another child in my age? And with your father?" She grimaced. "I think, we're both relieved that it did work out the way it did. We took it as a sign to end things for good."

Jason nodded slowly. These pieces of information didn't mean much to him at this very moment. He had too much to process on his own.

Diane let him.

"Thank you for calling me," he finally said, after some time of silence. "We can talk when we're back home."

"I hope so." She made a gesture as though she wanted to touch him before she remembered the distance between them. "Jason, please be careful. And give my love to the girls."

"I will."

The triangular screen disappeared, leaving the room somehow dark and lonely. He kept sitting on the bed for a while before lying down. He crossed his arms under his head, using his hands as a pillow.

There was no trace of anger left, just a stinging hollow in his chest. He lost the sense of time, staring at the ceiling. Lost in thoughts, he almost didn't catch the soft knock on the door.

Neri didn't ask him if he was alright or about the call but simply slipped into the bed next to him. He offered her his arm and she snuggled up against him. They lay in the dark, and deep in thoughts, he stroke her arm. He could feel her hair on his cheek and her hand on his chest. She felt warm and comforting to him.

"She left," he finally murmured.

"She come back," Neri replied just as quietly.

He shifted to turn his torso to face her without withdrawing his arm. The light left was sparse but yet enough to see her looking at him.

"I wished it were that easy," he sighed and touched her face with his left hand.

With his fingertips, he traced the lines of her cheek, her eyebrows and hairline. She closed her eyes and smiled while letting him redraw her features. He stroked over her hair and shoved a strand behind her ear. Cupping her cheek, he finally bent over to cover her lips with his.

The kiss was tender, and he quickly lost himself in it. He pulled her closer and she responded immediately by wrapping her arm around his waist. The soft touch of their lips felt intimate in a consoling way.

Somehow, in tight embrace, feeling her breath on his skin, he fell asleep.


	42. Chapter 42

"I'm not sure these wall paintings will be of any help," Shalamorn said sceptically while looking around.

"You requested to take a look at records regarding experiences with the telepathic memory storage," Merein answered and pointed colourful pictures across the walls. "All these were drawn by holy men and women who entered the collective mind beyond the living."

"You mean those intoxicated enough to believe so."

"Yes, you were always reluctant when it comes to metaphysics, Shalamorn," the high priestess replied, smiling patiently.

"Since when are the both of them on the first-name basis?" Jason asked Mera very quietly, wondering about the informal way Merein addressed the Queen since they had entered the Archali Temple.

"She is the highest authority here," Mera told him. "Secular titles, even royal ones, are left outside if you enter the borders of the Archali Province."

"I am reluctant when it comes to psychedelic drugs," Shalamorn corrected Merein. "I respect your belief in the ancient gods, Your Holy Grace. Always have. Even though I never shared them."

"Those drugs how you call this natural substance help the people connect with each other and find a link to their ancestors. Respect towards a faith should also come with respect towards its traditions and practices."

Jason turned away to join Neri in a corner further away from the brooding argument. He didn't feel like getting in the middle of it.

"They are beautiful," Neri said, her fingertips travelling along the wall. She stopped and smiled. "This is Keri, girl who turn into fish to save her lost sister. Father told me the story." During her explanation, she pointed to several small pictures. "Here is cave where sister was held by bad big crab. Keri made friends with many other fish. They tell her where to find sister and defeat the mean crab."

"So, these are fairy-tales?" Jason asked. "Children's stories?"

"I never heard of a fairy," Merein said suddenly behind him and he jumped. "But yes, many of those paintings are the source of tales, myths and legends although the people here believe they are not just fictional stories imagined in a creative rush due to the pollen - " she shot a short glance at Shalamorn, "but fractures of memories."

"So they really believe they entered this collective mind and returned with the stories of deceased?"

"Not stories. Experiences," Merein responded. "I see you share the Queen's scepticism."

"I don't intend to enter this argument," Jason made clear. "I just want to know if it's possible to channel memories of a deceased person. Is there some kind of other data towards the collective mind? A scientific proof of that connection to that telepathic library beyond the living?"

Merein smiled and nodded. She turned to the altar in the middle of the room and pushed a stone button. A holographic triangular screen appeared.

"I don't know what exactly it is what you're looking for," she said and opened a map, "but archaeologists and historians have indeed tried to find proof. They examined several of these old sites with drawings and if possible, spoke to the people who recently painted new ones."

A series of similar pictures was shown on the screen. Three locations blinked on the map.

"These were especially interesting because they tell the same detailed story in the same colours," Merein explained. "They were drawn at the same time."

"Approximately," Shalamorn tossed in. "It couldn't be broken down to the day. And if this pictures once entered the living library, it is out there."

"And you have no proof that the painters actually had all the same encounter," Jason assumed.

Merein shrugged. "Some things are just not meant to be proven scientifically."

"And we need faith now," Neri said.

"You're welcome to participate in a joint prayer," Merein invited them. "But I have the feeling that is not what you've come here for." She gave each of them a questioning look. "Your request was unusual enough and I'd think you already knew your search for proof would come into nothing." Her gaze stopped with Jason. "You said something about channelling the memories of one person in particular?"

Jason exchanged a quick look with the others. "You think it would be possible?" he asked then. "To find an imprint of a specific person with distinguished attributes?"

"Well, you will always find special people," Merein replied, her forehead thoughtfully frowned. "Among the living and also among the dead. But despite us calling it a library, it is not a database where you can just access a specific piece of information. Most of the _travellers_ tell us about blurred visions, emotional fractures and distant echoes. Their encounters are certainly no eye-to-eye conversations."

"We didn't expect it to be," Jason said.

"Call me curious but who is it you are hoping to find?"

"Our ancestors," Mera explained. "And particularly, those with gifted minds."

"We have the Gift of Healing and Mending," Neri added. "But we can not heal Planet of the Oceans alone."

"I'm afraid you have to," Merein responded gently, obviously trying to let heir hopes down carefully. "The dead are dead. Their conscious mind is gone and so is their Gift. Even if you can channel some of their memories, you'd still need a medium - " awareness dawned on her face, "and a catalyst … " She scanned them one by one and her face lit up when the realisation hit her. "You want to recharge the synchronium!"

"Yes," Shalamorn replied, "we want to try. We hope that the Gift left a unique imprint, powerful enough to put to use."

Merein nodded all eager and excited. "Yes, I get the idea. That could actually work."

"It was Jason's idea," Neri told her and touched his arm, sending a jolt of pride through him.

"Well, that doesn't surprise me at all," Merein responded and winked at him. "From what I heard, you already proved yourself to be an extraordinary problems-solver several times already."

Jason blushed. "You really think, it's possible?" he asked quickly.

"No one every tried that before," Merein replied, "at least, not that I know of. But with the three of you, I am positive. If you're willing to do whatever is necessary."

The last words put a damper on the excited atmosphere but Shalamorn just nodded. "You mean we will have to initiate a trance state by the pollen."

Merein nodded. "It is part of it. But you have to consider that the travellers have years of training in meditation. You will have to undergo an instruction as well. Without practice, your encounters will resemble your usual dreams. You will have no control or conscious steering through that nebulous worlds if you enter them right now." She locked eyes with Shalamorn. "You will have to drug yourself, as you call it."

"Maybe we can start with meditation," Mera said, "and see where this leads us."

"Of course. Do you want me to introduce you to some of the travellers?"

"You won't instruct us yourself?" Shalamorn asked.

Merein shook her head and smiled. "I have other obligations awaiting me. Also, I am not a traveller myself."

"Well, it's already late," Jason tossed in. "Maybe we should call it a night and head home. Sleep on it."

"Agreed."

The sun had already set when they left the temple labyrinth. Jason resisted the urge to take a deep breath to avoid another intoxicating experience with the pollen. Merein gave him a grin, clearly guessing his thoughts.

"Did you hear anything from Shersheba?" he asked her when they walked through the garden.

"Not since she left to come to your rescue," Merein replied, her tone suddenly very cool.

"We didn't want to leave her there," Mera defended herself.

Merein stopped dead. "But you did."

"We had no choice," Jason said, "and she partly volunteered to stay."

Merein scanned his face and her expression grew soft. "Well, _you_ I believe. It is good to know that I am not the only one worrying about her. Unfortunately, I got no word from her," she told them when they continued they way to the entrance of the temple.

"Well, I just thought, since you are neutral in this conflict as a priestess and her friend," he replied, "maybe there is a way for you to contact them and find out."

"We kept our neutrality because people look for guidance beyond secular issues," Merein explained. "They come to us, not the other way round. I'm afraid we'll have to wait for a life sign, just as you do."

"Thank you for your help," Shalamorn told her at the gate and Merein nodded with her re-found friendly smile.

"Eirhne's and Machna's blessing with you," she said and retreated.

Neri watched her disappear into the shadows with a frowned expression.

"Neri?" Jason asked. "You're alright?"

"She lied," Neri replied quietly.

"About what?"

"About Shersheba. I think she knows more that she say."

"She is a priestess," Shalamorn responded. "The gods know they have their own agenda and secrets."

"Maybe she's just angry with us," Jason figured, "and she wants us to feel guilty and worried for a while before telling us that Shersheba is alright."

"You think so?"

Jason nodded. "That's a very old trick. Brett used to do that a lot when he got in trouble. Sometimes he hid somewhere for hours. So when my parents finally found him they were just glad he was safe and he got away with minimal punishment."

Mera grinned. "Yes, that sounds like him."

Neri's face had lit up as well and Jason offered her his hand which she took while mirroring his smile.

Shalamorn pushed the button and the next second, he felt sucked into the water tunnel.


	43. Chapter 43

"Come home?" Jason repeated after Brett, his forehead frowned. "We can't leave yet."

"We just made some progress," Mera added. "People have started to confide in us again and may have found a possibility to recharge the synchronium!"

"The synchronium? Really? Aces!" Brett exclaimed from the screen.

"You see why we can't go now," Neri said. "There is still much to do."

"Yeah, I get that," Brett nodded, "but as you can guess, the scientists want to see you in person and we need their support. And the only option to get all of them to Australia without raising suspicion is the conference next month in Darwin. At the same time, there is a Comic Convention which is a good excuse for many scientists not to be at the conference all the time. It's the perfect and also the only opportunity left this year."

Neri and Mera exchanged a quick look.

"Then, we should talk to Mother," Mera said.

"I think, Mum is talking to her right now," Brett replied, stretched his neck a little and nodded. "Yap, she does. In the living room."

"Why the separate calls?" Jason asked.

"Because I wanted to throw in some sweets to lure you home. As it happens, some of our friends can be there as well. I talked to everyone we kept touch with. Froggy, Vanessa and Benny have a few days until the summer semester starts. Lena and Mick were able to get a week vacation from work. Lee can't make it due to her tight schedule at Oxford University."

"What about Zoe and Sallyanne?"

"Zoe is stuck and she couldn't come up with a good excuse to leave the training camp so close to the Olympic Games," Brett responded, his voice gloomy, clearly disappointed. "And Sallyanne is already on her way to a research ship in the North Sea. She got one of the rare internship opportunities she worked for since she started her studies in surveying and remote sensing."

"Yeah, she told me about it," Jason remembered. "I'm glad it worked out for her."

"Still, I am sad I can not see everyone again," Neri said.

"They send their love, Neri," Brett assured her, "to all of you."

"We'll need a few days to make preparations," Mera told him.

"But you better hurry up," Brett insisted. "Considering you need five days for the flight alone, you should board the spaceship in four days, five tops."

"So, we better get started then," Jason replied and reached out his hand to end the call.

"Wait! What about the synchronium?" Brett wanted to know. "You can't throw something like that in the room and leave me hanging! Didn't you say it needs several generations of the Gift to recharge?"

"Remember what Mum said about Morphic Fields?"

Brett frowned. "Remotely," he responded. "Something about an energy field with memories, experiences and stuff, connecting all kinds of species? The thing why some apes on one island can suddenly create a tool out of a rock after another ape on another island on the other side of the globe invented it?"

"Exactly. The people of the Ocean Planet have telepathic abilities, so I figured they have something similar."

"And you want to find other people with the Gift by that?"

Jason shook his head. "No, we're rather hoping to get access to memories of the Gift, some sort of an imprint."

"So you wanna give the synchronium a rub with an image of someone with the Gift?" Brett cocked his head to the side, his expression sceptical. "Sounds like a longshot."

"It is but it's worth a try," Jason replied. "Homoeopathy is based on the same principle and it's working."

"What is home-pathy?" Neri wanted to know.

"Homoeopathy," Jason corrected. "It's a branch of alternative natural medicine. Basically, you mix water with a tiny amount of a poison which usually evokes the same symptoms as your illness or injury, and take it to activate your immune system. The amount of poison is actually so small that it's merely an imprint of its chemical properties."

"Yeah, but the immune system is a living thing," Brett tossed in, still doubtful. "And you wanna try tricking a machine."

"A machine which reacts to our thoughts and wishes," Mera reminded him.

"Ok," Brett responded. "Did you try it yet?"

"It is not that easy, Brett," Neri told him. "There are so many thoughts and memories."

"And those of the deceased are way harder to reach," Mera added. "Our people believe that they linger in a higher level, in a deeper layer of this library. There are only few who try to get access to this layer and just as few who actually believe that they do."

Brett made a popping sound with his lips and exhaled. "Sounds like a new mission. Just wished for once you would choose something easier and more fun."

Jason rolled his eyes while exchanging a smile with Neri.

Mera grinned. "Well, when you're around it's always fun."

Brett wiggled his eyebrows. "Oh girl, don't make me blush! You know it stings with my hair!"

Jason shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other, his hands on his hips. "Well, we have a lot to do before we can come. We better get started."

Brett's face sank. "Girls, can you give us some minutes alone?"

"Of course," Mera replied, her forehead frowned.

"I see you soon, Brett," Neri waved.

"So Mr Killjoy," Brett addressed him when the girls had left the room, "what was that?"

"Nothing," Jason said shrugging, "but you flirting like this … it just makes people a little uncomfortable."

Brett snorted. "Look who's talking! You think Mera and me or any of the others felt comfortable watching you two being all lovey-dovey around each other?"

"We were never _lovey-dovey_."

"Maybe not in the open but obviously enough," Brett said. "Which makes me wonder what happened."

"What do you mean?" Jason asked, his tone a little too defensive which made Brett lift one eyebrow.

"A few weeks ago, you could hardly keep your hands off each other. And now, you two seem kind of distant. Not _distant_ distant but you know, the way you were before you became official."

Jason took a deep breath and Brett's face fell.

"Oh no. You're not saying you went back to ,we are just friends`?" Brett sang the last part in an annoying tone.

"To be honest," Jason sighed and sat down on a stone bench, "I have no idea where we stand. Only that it's my fault and I have no idea how to fix it."

Any silliness and amusement left were gone and Brett gave him one of his very rare serious looks. "What did you do?"

"It's not something I did," Jason murmured. "It appears it rather something I … _didn't_."

Brett's eyes grew wide and his mouth formed an "o". "Well, that I knew but am I supposed to understand that?"

"I don't get it either," Jason confessed. "I'm still in love with Neri, always will and a great part of me wants to be with her for real. But there is the voice inside my head, telling me to be … "

"Sensible and responsible?" Brett cut him. "Yeah, that sounds like you but you're both grown up."

"Mera told me, she thinks it's because I'm not sure about this relationship in general."

"Not sure? But you two are … Wait!" he suddenly jumped. "You talk with Mera about that?"

Jason shrugged. "She rather confronted me about my friendship with Shersheba. And she dropped casually the telepathic connection between family members and the resulting lack of privacy."

Brett put his hand over his mouth but did a poor job hiding his grin. Jason gave him an annoyed look which made Brett burst into a loud laughter.

"Ok, that sucks!" he snorted. "Under these conditions, I would also have problems getting it up."

"Brett!"

Brett defensively held his hands up, trying to turn serious but failed to shut off his wide grin. "Ok, sorry, Bro! But you got to admit that's actually not surprising. You could have guessed that."

"Somehow, this is turning in the exact same conversation I had with Mera," Jason sighed.

"Sorry, I wish I could be of more help," Brett replied, finally more seriously. "I really hope you can fix it, mate! You two took so long until you finally got over the being friends state although it was so obvious to everyone around you. When you entered the room everyone else was signed out. And when we returned from a dangerous mission, it was your arms she flew in first. And you were the one she always worried about the most. You two are the reason I still believe in working relationships and true love, as cheesy as this may sound. So please don't screw it up!"

Jason smiled when Brett put his hands together in a begging gesture. "I don't intend to. I promise!"

"It's a good thing you come home," Brett responded, his tone thoughtfully. "With all our old friends, maybe it will remind you why you fell in love with her in the first place. Being back in this nostalgic atmosphere, who knows? Things could just fall into place before you know it."

"I hope so."


	44. Chapter 44

" _Going somewhere, are we?_ "

When Shalamorn took the call, High Councillor Zheri was the last person they expected it to be. The councillors Pietre and Sherkat were also seen on the screen.

The councillors Chianba and Diric who just had been in conversation with Shalamorn about the departure the next day, took a step closer to show them their presence. Jason, Neri and Mera took their places right behind the Queen.

" _High Councillor Zheri, Councillor Pietre, Councillor Sherkat,_ " Shalamorn greeted them and bent her head to each of them, " _I am grateful for the opportunity to talk to you._ _I was hoping to get in touch with you._ "

" _All the more, why we were surprised to hear you're leaving before we could continue the discussion we started with your daughters_."

" _As you can imagine, High Councillor, we fight on several borders these days_ ," Shalamorn replied, " _and an urgent matter requires our presence on Earth_."

" _I can't see how a matter with Earth People can be more urgent than a truce with us._ "

"This is not about prioritising," Jason said. He had tried to put the words together in oceanic but had given up quickly. "We are about to meet politicians and scientists from Earth in a first introducing encounter. Also, we were hoping, you would join us."

The idea had just crossed his mind and out of instinct, he tossed it in the room. Instantly he found himself in the centre of attention. Every single pair of eyes were on him in surprise and disbelief.

"What are you doing?" Mera asked almost inaudible at his neck.

"Join you?" Zheri repeated also in English with a suspicious expression. "Why should we walk into this trap?"

"It's not a trap," Jason replied, "but an opportunity to get to know the people who will be involved in the trial."

"You never said a word about Earth People being part of the jury!" Sherkat spat outraged.

"Well, they are," Jason responded, "the outcome still has to be unanimous. So does it matter who sits in our half?"

"You're playing a dangerous game, Jason Bates," Zheri said, the wrinkles of her mouth jerking.

"We came to you, remember? We want peace and a future for both our people. This is neither a trap nor a game. Just an opportunity to get to know those primitive apes you are so scared of."

"You're trying to provoke us," Pietre replied amused. "That's clever. Unfortunately for you, our opinion about your folk is not a matter of pride but of our superiority in knowledge and technology. Why should we be scared of you? You just came down from the trees while we travel the galaxy."

"You know, a while ago, I would have thought the same way," Jason responded and took a step towards the screen. "Living in peace and harmony with nature? Using your resources to help another species to prevent them making the same mistakes you did? That sounds very superior to me. But look at you right now! On the brink of a civil war, your weapons directed at each other, your technology used against your own people." He gave each of the councillors a look and shook his head. "I can't see any superiority in that. In fact, after the years I spent with Neri and Mera, it's hard to believe that you're actually the same species! All I see are the lies of an overly-ambitious man and the deep scars he left on your people. If we just came down from the trees, Malakat surely did you drive back into the water!" He spread his arms and shrugged. "You're right: we are not very scary. But in a matter of a few years, you made a complete turnaround, changing from the peaceful society you have been for thousands of years to people who are ready to commit genocide. And if that's not enough to scare the hell out of you, the fact that one man alone was able to do that to you, should be."

"It's an intriguing view on things," Pietre replied calmly, "but you seem to forget that many conflicts have been brewing before Malakat took charge. The way the old government handled things was put into question long before Kh'seem took his daughters and the synchronium to Earth."

Jason exchanged a quick look with the Queen and the girls, realising it was the first time, he heard the name of Neri's father.

"Malakat didn't change us," Zheri continued, "it was rather a necessity to adapt to the circumstances. And along the way, we realised we had to evaluate some of our ways in order to survive."

"By betraying the very essence of our being?" Shalamorn asked. "Shifting the basis of our moral understanding?"

"You were the one who shifted the emphasis from _compassion_ to _neglect your own people's needs_ , Shalamorn," Sherkat said coolly. "And you refused to even hear us out when we wanted to talk to you about our concerns towards your change of priorities. So we took a leader who did."

"And look where it got us," Jason responded. "Malakat is gone and you're in charge now. This is a chance for you to go back to your old ways!"

"You know nothing about us, Jason Bates," Zheri replied.

"Then fill me in," he suggested. "Tell us about you."

"Us?" Sherkat repeated, his forehead frowned.

"Yes," Jason nodded, "us humans. I know you think this conflict is between your own people and better to solve amongst your own. But you'd be surprised what a third party could achieve."

"A third party which wants to put our leader on a trial!" Sherkat spat sneerily.

"A party which, unfortunately, has a lot of experience in this area," Jason added. "It seems you know as little about us as we know about you. There is no harm in getting to know each other and here's the perfect opportunity."

"Still also like a perfect trap," Sherkat said. "How can we be sure you won't just get rid of us, one way or another?"

"Because we both know, the slightest provocation could lead to an open war," Jason replied, "that neither of us really want."

"You say," Neri said suddenly and took a step forward, "I am naïve and idealistic like my mother. So you know, if I make promise I will keep it. It is no trap. You won't be harmed." With two fingers she crossed her forehead. "I promise."

The councillors exchanged a look, silently communicating.

"We will participate," Zheri said then, "but we keep Shersheba as a security measure."

Jason nodded grimly. It wasn't to his liking to make this deal over Shersheba's head but he hadn't expected any different.

"Can I talk to her?"

On sync, the councillors stepped back to reveal Shersheba had been close all the time.

"Are you alright?" Jason wanted to know.

Shersheba gave him an assuring smile. "Yes, I'm alright. And before you ask, it's fine for me to stay. I'm treated well and I'm allowed to move wherever I want as long as I stay in the area."

"Still, I never wanted you to get into such a situation," Jason responded.

"I got myself into it, Jason," she replied, "and this way, maybe there is even something good coming from out of it."

"Shersheba," Neri tossed in and Shersheba gave her a surprised look. "We will never forget and our people will never forget. Without you, our planet could never be saved."

Shersheba hesitated, then bent her head. "Thank you, Your Highness."

The screen was directed back to the councillors.

"Sherkat and me," Zheri said, "we will take our own craft. Send us the coordinates of the meeting location on Earth through this channel."

Shalamorn gave one of the guards a short nod and he quickly tipped in some symbols. Without further words, the screen was shut down.


	45. Chapter 45

"Mate, you look like shit!" Brett commented his state as Jason sat up on the bench he had been lying on the last couple of minutes. Neri stood next to him, watching him concerned.

"I wanna see you after you got frozen for five days," Jason replied. His limbs still felt cold and stiff. But at least he had been fully conscious twenty minutes after they had woken him up – which was definitely an improvement.

"Oh, you will," Brett promised. "There's no way you're going back up without me."

"I'd love for you to come with us next time," Mera said with a smile.

Neri suddenly straightened up, listening to something Jason wasn't able to hear.

"Charly," Mera explained. "He's singing to us since we arrived."

Jason touched Neri's arm. "Go ahead," he encouraged her. "I know you wanna go for a swim and say hello to him."

"Are you sure?"

Jason nodded and stroked her arm. "I see you girls later on ORCA."

"They're all eager to see you," Brett added. "Don't be alarmed by the security measures. The patrol boats are just for keeping out nosy strangers. They won't bother you."

His light tone suddenly sounded endeavoured. The sisters exchanged a look.

"What has happened, Brett?" Neri wanted to know.

Brett shook his head. "Really: it can wait," he ensured them. "You can just go. Anyway, I am not supposed –"

"Brett," Neri and Mera cut in.

"Spill," Jason demanded.

Brett hesitated, then sighed. "Well, that is – kinda – the problem," he said. "Someone did."


	46. Chapter 46

"Hey, Mum!"

Behind Jason's back, Brett climbed out of the small tube which led to the minifin.

"Darling," Diane replied and took a step towards him with an insecure expression. The hug was clumsy and brief.

"Are you alright?" she wanted to know and touched his face. "Brett texted me, telling me you had trouble waking up."

He made an unconscious movement away from her and she flinched. Guilt rushed through him but he banished it quickly. They had bigger problems to solve right now.

"I'm okay," he ensured her and squeezed her hand to signal his effort to forgive her. She smiled relieved.

"Tell me about the leak," Jason asked her when they turned into the hallway leading to H.E.L.E.N.'s lab. "Brett told us some delicate pieces of information appeared on the internet."

Diane's face darkened and she nodded. "Yes, and they are disturbingly detailed. Froggy has been working with H.E.L.E.N. since his arrival yesterday morning. He barely took a break to eat or sleep. But until now he only found out that someone overrode some of her security protocols to get access to the database. He restored them of course and H.E.L.E.N. apologised a thousand times to him while she completely ignored anyone else."

"Her and Froggy had always a special relationship," Brett said and grinned.

"What kind of information was extracted?" Jason wanted to know.

"We don't know yet," Diane replied. "Also, we have no idea who did it. But the person has to have special security clearances. Otherwise, he or she would have never been able to get access to H.E.L.E.N. in the first place."

"That nails it down, doesn't it?"

Diane grimaced. "Since ORCA is the unofficial interplanetary diplomatic base most people on board got special clearances."

They stopped at the door to H.E.L.E.N.'s lab and Diane pushed the button.

"Security code, please?" H.E.L.E.N. asked friendly.

"Commander Bates, security code alpha point six, delta vega omega."

"It changed again?" Brett complained as they entered the lab. "Great, every day a new code to learn by heart."

"Welcome back, Jason," H.E.L.E.N. said. "I am pleased to see you returned safe and sound."

"Thank you, H.E.L.E.N.," Jason responded politely.

"Jase!"

Jason had seen Froggy for several times on video calls but it still astonished him how he had grown up. He was almost as tall as Jason but his wide grin was still unmistakeable that of the boy genius they know and loved.

Jason pulled him into a brief but warm hug.

"Anything new?" Diane wanted to know.

Froggy shook his head. "Not yet. But at least, no more information got out since yesterday. My presence must have scared off the leaker."

"What exactly has happened?" Jason wanted to know.

"As you know, since I left ORCA I monitored everything which has to do with aliens and conspiracy theories on the internet," Froggy began. "Web pages about aliens living among us and conspiracy theories are usually nothing new or to worry about. They are whole sections about the red weather phenomenon and the Red Virus. But some of those theories in the last weeks came very close to the truth and revealed some details about the Ocean People nobody but insiders can know."

"How could you monitor this on you own?" Brett asked. "There must be thousands of websites!"

"I wrote a piece of software which is searching for keywords."

Brett looked impressed but Froggy just shrugged. "It's just a simple query, nothing special. Anyway, I traced several websites with those detailed descriptions to one mac-address in Tokyo which belongs to the computer of Akio Tenjou."

"That name doesn't ring a bell," Brett replied.

"He is well-known in alien conspiracy circles," Froggy told them. "He wrote several books, has an online blog and a web-series where he leads back any strange non-explicable phenomenon to an invasion of extra-terrestrials. Under normal circumstances, such a guy would mean no threat and the description of the Ocean People could be interpreted as a simple imagination. But recently a few disturbingly detailed pieces of information about the meeting in Darwin appeared on his websites. H.E.L.E.N.? Can you please show us the map?"

An image appeared on the main screen, showing the coastline of north-west Australia, the shapes of the islands and a cross marking the location of ORCA. A red blinking circle had been inserted at the Mako Trench.

"This map is to be found on every single one of his websites," Froggy explained."Tenjou describes an underwater pyramid, claiming it to be the aliens headquarter on Earth. But fortunately, there are no pictures."

"Yeah, the Pyramid has its own security system," Jason said. "There is no way you can save pictures or any data of it in H.E.L.E.N.'s database without its permission."

H.E.L.E.N. made a sound and Froggy looked at the screen. "Oh that's good news," he stated. "It seems no valuable data was extracted. Just last week's cafeteria menu and some stuff protocols. Nothing to actually support or prove his allegations."

"That _is_ good news," Diane responded. "Maybe the meeting can still take place after all."

Jason turned around to face her. "What? The meeting was cancelled?"

"Not yet," Diane replied. "But we're definitely considering it. Tenjou may not be able to prove his allegations but all flights to Australia are nevertheless booked out since last week. He might be a nutcase but he is a nutcase with a lot of followers."

"Not to mention the folk, a Comic Con usually attracts anyway," Brett added. "No offence, Froggy!"

Froggy grinned. "Non taken. Most people on Comic Cons are pretty decent but there are always some weirdos like me, either."

"But this year, there will be also a whole lot who actually believe Tenjou," Diane tossed in, her expression still concerned and serious.

"Hey, we're in contact with the president of the Global Union," Brett pointed out. "There must be a way to take down his websites!"

"That would raise even more suspicion," Jason responded and Froggy nodded.

"I added some links which will forward to some really bizarre websites," he explained. "And I left some comments in blogs and forums where his theories are discussed, making him look ridiculous. Also, my query software will warn me about new activity."

"Good thinking, Froggy," Diane praised him.

Jason took a look at his watch. "The girls will be here soon. Maybe we should join the others in the cafeteria."


	47. Chapter 47

**Hey guys, I was looking forward to write this chapter! I hope, you're as satisfied with the reunion as I am. Tell me what you think!**

* * *

"Neri, Mera, it's so good to see you again," Lena said while hugging the both of them tightly. She wore her hair shorter now and her grey dress was casual, yet elegant. The girls had changed into ORCA uniforms after their swim.

It had been a warm welcome on both sides with a lot of hugging and smiling. Although the news of the leak put a damper on the reunion with all of them, he couldn't stop grinning.

"You, too, Lena," Mera replied while Neri just beamed at her.

Lena retreated, then took the hand of a pretty dark-haired woman to pull her closer. She was the only non-familiar person in the room. Even Jason hadn't seen her yet.

"This is Anja," Lena said with a happy smile, "my fiancée."

"Hi," Anja said and shook each their hand, smiling shyly. "It's nice to finally meet you. I heard so much about you."

"Funny," Brett replied. "We didn't hear one thing about you. I had no idea you even had a girlfriend."

"I told Jason," Lena responded and all heads turned in his direction. Brett lifted his eyebrows.

"In case, you haven't noticed," Jason said calmly and shrugged, "there has been a lot of other stuff going on."

"Yeah, but you definitely should have told us about your hot friend and _her_ hot girlfriend," Mick complained. He wiggled his eyebrows and winked at Lena and Anja.

Vanessa smacked the back of his head.

"Ouch!"

"I thought, you two are not dating anymore?" Froggy asked carefully.

"We're not," Vanessa replied. "But that doesn't mean I can't put him in his place when he's behaving like an idiot. Which he does most of the time."

Mick rubbed his head and grimaced. "Yeah, well, she's right," he said and grinned, pointing with his thumb in Vanessa's direction. "And I only got through my exams with her help."

"You're a mechanic, right?" Lena wanted to know.

Mick nodded. "Yeah, with my dyslexia I was never much of a bookworm and I guess it was kind of a big disappointment for my mother, that I wouldn't go for economics. But pulling engines apart and putting them back together – that's definitely Mickey's thing!"

Vanessa rolled her eyes but did a poor job to hide her smile. Even though they weren't an exclusive couple anymore, Jason knew they still cared about each other – so much that they were still hooking up sometimes.

"Your hair looks beautiful, Vanessa," Neri noticed and approached Vanessa to take a lock into her hand. Her hair was still ruby red but instead of the frizzy locks, it covered her shoulders now in shiny silky curls.

Vanessa blushed. "Thank you," she murmured. "Are there any news towards the breaking and entering of the database?" she asked Froggy to obviously change the subject.

Froggy took a quick look at the device in his hand and shook his head. "No, H.E.L.E.N. is still on it."

"At least, they're not trying to interrogate us anymore," Mick commented.

Jason frowned. "What?"

"Yes," Lena replied, "then the leak was detected, the government sent some agents. They seriously thought we had something to do with that."

"As if we would tell now after keeping the secret for years," Mick said, rolling his eyes. "But luckily, they went for Vanessa first."

"Were they mean to you?" Neri wanted to know.

"They tried," Vanessa responded drily.

Froggy chuckled. "Let me guess: you made them cry?"

"After ten minutes," Vanessa responded with a smug grin. "Their own fault if the government sends their newbies to deal with us."

"Isn't she just remarkable?" Mick stated and leant his head on Vanessa's shoulder.

"Oh, shut it," she replied but blushed, clearly flattered, and made no effort to shove him away.

"You haven't changed one bit," Mera said, "and I'm so grateful for that!"

"Where is Cass?" Neri asked.

"She's on duty on the bridge," Brett told her. "That reminds me: I gotta go soon and join her. Dave is a real pain in the ass lately. But we will be back for dinner, I promise!"

"So," Mick said slowly after Brett had left the room, "you went to the Oceanplanet? Shoot! I wanna know everything!"

Jason exchanged a look with Neri and Mera. "I thought Brett already told you about the encounter with the rebels and our theory towards the synchronium."

"He gave us the short version," Lena responded. "But you can't just leave us with the big picture! You've been on another planet! How was it like to be in a frozen state?"

"Weren't you scared to walk into the rebel base?" Froggy asked.

"How does the landscape look like?" Vanessa wanted to know.

"What did you eat?" Froggy asked.

"Would you leave the poor guy alone?" Mick interrupted and put an arm around Jason's shoulder. "The man just came out of cold sleep. He can only answer the most important questions." He dragged Jason a little away and bent his head closer as if planning a conspiracy. "How were the girls? - Ouch!"

Promptly, Vanessa had smacked him hard. "You're an idiot!"

Mick let go and rubbed his head.

"In case you haven't noticed," Jason said, wondering how Mick could still have hair at the back of his head, so often Vanessa must have slapped him by now, "I have a girlfriend."

He exchanged a smile with Neri and she took his hand.

"Well, took you two long enough to become official," Froggy commented. "Even back then I could tell you have feelings for each other."

"Burning question: does the sex work the same way?" Mick asked Jason and ducked quickly away from Vanessa.

"It does," Mera replied instead for which Jason was very grateful. "We have the same reproduction system and are anatomically similar to humans. But we can only get pregnant once a year and we certainly don't bleed."

"Oh, that would be a mess," Lena nodded.

Froggy hid his face in his hands and Mick looked disgusted.

"Thanks a lot for that picture," he murmured.

Mera shrugged and winked at Vanessa who grinned.

"You had it coming!"

"Jase," Mick whined, "a more pleasant picture, please?"

"Nope," Jason said relentlessly, "I certainly won't talk to you about my sex life."

 _Or to be exact the non-existent one_.

The grip on his hand tightened and he met Lena's gaze. He was sure to be successful in his endeavour for a neutral expression but Lena had always had a way to look right through people.

And right now he felt x-rayed down to the core.


	48. Chapter 48

It didn't take Lena long to find him alone.

Dinner had been loud and a lot of fun. They ate in the commander's cabin at the dinner table, talking about the old days and telling about their life nowadays. That was the first time Lena met Froggy, Vanessa and Mick, so they had a lot of stories to trade. When Cass and Brett joined them finally after their shift, it turned even noisier.

Jason tried to relax but now and then he felt Lena's gaze on him. Luckily, they were soon out of beverages, so he took the opportunity to flee out of the room.

"Need some help with these?"

Jason had expected her to follow him into the storage but flinched anyway. "I'm good," he ensured her. "Thank you."

She crossed her arms and blocked the doorway. "Jason, what's going on?"

He put the box with soda bottles down and sighed, knowing he had no chance to escape. "I wish I knew."

"Well, you should at least know if you want to be with Neri or not."

Jason looked up in surprise and Lena looked astonished.

"Wow," she said, "that was a random shot because you seem a bit unsure around her. I didn't expect to actually hit the bullseye." Her expression grew soft and sympathetic. She opened her arms and took a step towards him. "What happened?" she wanted to know. "I thought the two of you are in love?"

"We are," Jason replied. "I still got those butterflies when she smiles at me and I cannot imagine one day with her not being part of my life."

"Sounds like there is a _but_ somewhere."

"Yeah, I just can't put my finger on it." He sat down on the box while Lena leant against the wall. "It's so weird," he said, "I've been in love with her for so long and I do want her. But every time, we get close, something in my mind starts screaming _no_. It makes no sense. I always dreamt of being with her."

Lena bit her lip. "Maybe that's the problem," she suggested. "For years, you've imagined how it would feel to be with her. You created this bubble, this fantasy and now that it's real, this bubble is about to blast because you start to realise that Neri is actually not that perfect and neither is your relationship. That's a difficult phase for every couple. But when things get serious you just go back into the bubble where it's cosy and safe. "

"When you put it that way," Jason replied and exhaled, "it actually makes sense."

"It's a good working strategy for you," Lena said and sat down on another box, "but it's at her expense. She can't follow you into your bubble and she is left alone outside. Did you at least talk to Neri about it?"

Jason sighed. "I tried. I told her I didn't want us to have sex in between all of this mess as if it didn't mean anything. That it's supposed to be about us – when we have time to be just Neri and Jason, not the Princess of the Planet of the Oceans and … whatever my title might be."

Lena raised one eyebrow, looking a bit annoyed. "As noble as that may sound – you know that's just a tonne of bullshit, right? This situation will not get any easier and the conflicts will take years to solve. What are you afraid of? That you're bad in the sack? That you're gonna disappoint her?"

"Is that so hard to believe?"

Lena took a deep breath and gave him a sympathetic smile. "Jason, the way I see it, Neri is not the one fleeing into an illusion. She knows you better than I'd like to think you know yourself. And she still wants to be with you."

"I always thought of her being beyond any of us," he explained. "This perfect, pure, kind and beautiful creature and then there is me, pulling her down."

Lena shook her head. "She will always be anything but ordinary but she is still a woman in flesh and blood. If you came out of your fantasy for one minute you could see that too." Her eyes narrowed. "Or is that it?" she asked. "You're afraid you can't love the real person behind the illusion?"

Jason thought about it for a second then shook his head. "No, rather that I am the one who puts dirt on her, the one who changes her pure soul."

"By sleeping with her? Jason, this is the 21st century, not the dark Middle Ages," Lena set straight. "Where did you even get this crazy idea that sex is something dirty?"

Jason shrugged. "Since I found out about that girlfriend my Dad had at the office, sex always had a wrong tone to it."

Lena bent forward to take his hand. "You are not your father and Neri is not just some random bimbo," she said and locked eyes with him. "Being pure is part of being Neri. And that never changed although she's not a little girl anymore."

She retreated. "Jason, you are one of the bravest people I ever met. Take a chance on her and even more important: take a chance on yourself. I know you are very good it ignoring anything that might be uncomfortable for you but for Neri's sake, you better pull yourself together."

"What do you mean?"

Lena cocked her head to the side. "Sallyanne? Do I need to say more?"

"No," Jason murmured.

"And besides," she went on smirking, "there are a million steps between holding hands and sex. You don't have to go all the way at once. Believe me, from my experience, I can tell you the first few times you get physical: they are always exciting but also a little weird."

"That's encouraging," he replied and grimaced.

"There are things you should know about lady-parts," Lena replied and Jason got to his feet, holding up his hands as if she was pointing a gun at him.

"Please don't," he begged, "I don't wanna know."

"Oh, yes," she grinned, "you do!"

He hid his face in his hands and shook his head. "Why do I even talk to you?"

"Because I'm a doctor and in an actual working relationship with a woman," Lena responded relentlessly. "So sit down and listen!"


	49. Chapter 49

After turning from one side to the other for hours and sleep just not settling in, Jason found himself on the helicopter platform of ORCA. The dawning sky was cloudy and the sea still in an uproar from the calming storm. The wind felt cool on his skin but it never got freezing in this time of year. It was just the right temperature to take a breather.

The waves crashed against the columns and the boats tight up bumped against the platform in a steady rhythm. The air tasted salty on his tongue and he could feel the movement of the platform, swinging slightly back and forth accordingly to the waves.

He remembered standing here for the first time almost eight years ago – angry at the world, angry at his father for cheating on his mum, and angry at his mum for dragging them to this place so far away from his friends. He would be buried deep under the sea's surface where everybody looked the same and everyone had to follow strict rules. He would be stuck with nerds and their nerdier scientist parents with nothing cool or exciting to do.

He couldn't have been more wrong. Now, ORCA was his home. The open sea was his home and he was living the most exciting life he could imagine.

A high whistling broke the steady sound pattern and turned into a sequence of high notes. Only a few hundred meters away, a fountain of water was blown into the air.

"Hi Charly," Jason murmured.

"He say hi, too."

Of course, she would find him.

She wore her uniform but her hair was still wet, so he figured she had been up early as well to go for a swim.

"You talked to Lena," Neri stated when she approached him.

"Yeah, but in my defence: she was the one who found me," Jason replied and turned his torso in her direction. "You're mad I talked yet again to someone else about our relationship?"

Neri shook her head. "No, not mad. Just sad and confused."

"That's even worse," Jason sighed and slouched. "Why don't you ever get angry?"

"Do you want me to be angry?" she asked and frowned in confusion.

"I don't know," he responded in frustration and bent his head back to look at the sky to think for a second. "Actually, yes," he went on then. "Sometimes I wish, you would lose patience with me and just yell at me for being such a yellow, self-absorbed, insensitive dickhead!"

She flinched at the last part and he felt guilty, although the anger had been directed at himself, not at her.

"Sorry, that was inappropriate," he apologised quickly.

"Why do you want me to yell bad names at you?" she wanted to know and cocked her head to the side. "You do that to yourself already."

"I have to because you wouldn't," he explained and framed her silhouette with his hands. "You are so perfect, so incredibly patient with me. You wait for me, stick with me no matter what. It makes me feel … _ashamed_ of myself," he admitted and sat down on an equipment box. "I'm stuck and Lena's is right: when things get serious between us I always go back to the state where we were just friends because I am too much of a coward to get out of my comfort zone."

Neri just kept watching him with her usual patient expectation and comprehension, making him feel even more frustrated with his own inability to break the shell.

"I wanna be your man, Neri," he whispered. "I wanna be your boyfriend, your lover, your husband, your heart. But I don't know who to be any of those. I only know how to be your friend. I'm terrified to fail you, not just in this crisis but as your partner. And instead of just trying I'm already letting you down because I'm too much of a coward."

He buried his face in his hands for a second before he felt her warm hands covering his. He looked up and found her kneeling next to him, smiling with understanding.

"You trust me, Jason?" she asked while holding his hands.

"Yes, of course."

"Then trust me alright," she insisted. "You can never fail me. You're not coward but fearless. You go to my planet, you meet the councillors, you go with me into rebel forest. You talk, you make them angry. You're never afraid."

"I just don't think about," he murmured, feeling like he had to diminish her opinion of him. "I just do what feels right and I tell them what I think they need to hear, regardless of whatever they might do to me."

"I am afraid," Neri confessed, "and I'm brave because I have to. Because I'm the Chosen One. Because my mother is Queen of the Oceanplanet. But I'm not brave with you. With you, I am fearless and I have faith. In here," she said and put a hand on her chest, "it say it's right. It is good. It say, you and me, we are to be."

Astonished, he cupped her cheek with his hand. She always had this way of turning his world upside down with few words only. Even though she had still issues putting her thoughts into correct sentences, she found just the words to nail down even the most complicated matters.

The doubts and self-pity grew small and were replaced by pride and confidence. He was her steady rock in the stormy sea, he realised. He was amazed that she saw him that way.

"You really think so highly of me? Despite my behaviour towards you in the last couple of weeks?"

She nodded and smiled. "You will talk to me now? Trust me?"

"I will," he promised and got to his feet, pulling her up as well. "I do. It's just not that easy to admit how deficient I feel next to you."

"Defish...?"

"Deficient. It means _flawed_."

She bent her head to the side and frowned. "I am flawed, too."

"Not in my universe."

"Because I don't yell bad names at you?"

He grinned at her confused expression. "Well, it would make you more human," he explained. "Not _human_ human but you know what I mean."

"I know. And that would help you?"

"It would certainly make it okay for me to be human, too. To be vulnerable."

Her eyes narrowed as she thought about it for a second. Then she straightened up and took a deep breath. "Jason Bates, you are a yellow, self- ..." she tried to his surprise but stopped mid-sentenced, obviously oblivious to the rest of it.

"self-absorbed, insensitive dickhead!" he helped her grinningly.

"What is _dickhead_?"

"It's … You know what? Never mind," he responded quickly, his ears burning. "You're human enough. No need to pick up bad habits."

She caught his line of thoughts and smiled, then wrapped her arms around his neck. He responded to the embrace and pulled her closer. Her fingertips stroked over his skin at his neck, giving him goosebumps all over. His heart beat faster and his interior turned into a dance floor of excited butterflies.

A woman of flesh and blood, a warm body inhabited by the most caring and kindest soul he ever met.

Lena had been right. It didn't make her any less perfect or less magic to him. It just made her real.

"I love you, Jason."

He closed his eyes and rested his forehead against hers.

 _I love you, too_.

The huffing, smiling sound she made told him she had received his answer.


	50. Chapter 50

They walked back to the lift in comfortable silence, arms tightly wrapped around each other. It was still early but Jason's hope to lay down, cuddle and maybe get at least some hours of sleep was crushed the minute the lift doors closed.

"Good morning again, Jason Bates," H.E.L.E.N. greeted them. "Hello, Neri! The Commander and Froggy asked for your presence in my maintenance room."

"Hello H.E.L.E.N.," Neri responded and smiled.

"Is it urgent?" Jason wanted to know.

"Very urgent," H.E.L.E.N. said and Jason sighed. "But your ride will be undisturbed until level delta," she promised.

"Can you turn off the camera for the the time being?" Jason asked and pulled Neri closer, locking eyes with her.

"My security protocols don't allow me to leave public space unattended," H.E.L.E.N. apologised, "but I can redirect the focus on the left upper corner. If you shift one meter to the left, you will be out of sight."

"Do that," Jason replied and wrapped his arms around Neri's waist.

"Thank you, H.E.L.E.N.," Neri said, her gaze on his lips.

"You're welcome," H.E.L.E.N. responded sincerely but was already ignored.

They only had about two minutes and Jason had no intention to waste any second of it. Their lips met – still a little shy and careful at first, but the kiss gained in speed quickly. He breathed in her scent, tasted it on his tongue while caressing her lips with his. He deepened the kiss and softly tugged on her upper lip, one hand in her hair, the other one at her back. Neri stroked his neck and with the other hand wrapped around his shoulder, she nestled on him, responding immediately to every change in pace and rhythm.

The lift ride was over way too soon for an appropriate make-up make-out session but still better than nothing. He wanted to lose himself in this kiss. The butterflies in his stomach, the vibrant electricity in every cell of his body – it had been such a long time since he had enjoyed this feeling instead of instantly over-thinking every moment of it. It took him a lot of effort to stop kissing her even after the lift stopped. H.E.L.E.N. waited politely for them to break apart for good before she opened the doors but he never let go of her hand while they walked to H.E.L.E.N.'s lab.

"What's going on?" Jason wanted to know when they stepped through the door.

The small room was crowded for Winston and his mother had joined their friends. Mera smiled at Jason, obviously noticing the way he and Neri were still wrapped around each other.

"We found the spy," Froggy responded and gave a nod in the direction of a screen where a young dark-haired woman was shown.

"Amelia Bones," Diane explained. "She is one of the maintenance technicians for H.E.L.E.N.'s core devices."

"She tried to get access to the database again last night," Winston added, "so H.E.L.E.N. was able to identify her. But I still don't understand how she could have overwritten the security protocols. You need a special identification code which only a few of us hold."

"H.E.L.E.N.," Froggy asked her, "please identify the id code which was used to manipulate your core protocols."

"The identification code belongs to Bates, Brett," H.E.L.E.N. answered and Brett was immediately in the centre of attention. Guilt was written all over his face.

Diane put a hand on her hip. "Would you explain that, please?" she demanded.

Brett squirmed uncomfortably. "It's not that I have a lot of dating opportunities around here," he murmured defensively, "and she was hot!"

"So you just gave her your id card?" Vanessa assumed sharply.

"Duck," Mick advised him through his teeth but ducked away himself when Vanessa shot a glance at him.

"Of course not," Brett exclaimed and looked around. "She must have taken it while I was asleep. I thought I'd lost it, left it somewhere or something."

"Wouldn't be the first time," Jason said while banishing the uncomfortable thought of Brett being sexually active out of his mind.

"Give me a break, will you?" Brett responded, falsely interpretation Jason's intention to defend him as an accusation. "Just because you two don't –"

"Brett!" Mera and Neri said simultaneously, Mera's tone reproachful, Neri's unusually and surprisingly sharp.

Brett flinched, looking even more guilty. Mick's eyes narrowed and the others were looking half uncomfortable, half embarrassed, avoiding Jason's gaze all of the sudden. When Jason exchanged a quick look with Neri, he noticed she was as angry as him that Brett had just tossed a private piece of information in the room.

"Brett, how many times did I tell you to watch your clearances?" Diane scolded him.

"I'm sorry," Brett murmured, also giving Jason and Neri a look.

"What is done is done," Neri said, her voice calmer but still annoyed. "Where is she now?"

"H.E.L.E.N., can you locate Amelia Bones?" Cass asked her.

"Amelia Bones is no longer on ORCA," H.E.L.E.N. replied.

"Oh, this is just great," Jason moaned.

"H.E.L.E.N., please inform the security anyway," Diane demanded and exchanged a look with Winston. "I have to call the President. This is gonna be unpleasant. De Souza will behead me."

"I'm coming with you for moral support," Winston offered.

"Thank you, Winston," Diane replied and grimaced.

"What do you know of her?" Jason wanted to know while Diane and Winston stepped out of the door.

Brett shrugged. "Not much. We didn't spend much time talking."

"Can't blame ya," Mick said and shot a look at the picture. "She's a knock-out – Ouch!"

"Why would she steal information and forward it to a public channel?" Mera asked.

"Is she angry with us?" Neri wanted to know.

"I don't know," Brett responded, squirming. "She never asked me one thing about you."

"Well, according to her record, she worked on ORCA for two years now," Froggy tossed in. "And before that … "

"What?" Lena asked when Froggy fell silent.

"She was working at UBRI."

"You've got to be kidding me!" Vanessa cried. "UBRI? Seriously?"

"I can ask my father," Lena offered. "Although he is not working at UBRI anymore, he sure still has a lot of contacts. If it's alright with you, I ask him to find out about Amelia Bones."

"That would be great," Jason nodded. "Thank you, Lena."

"You know, he never really forgave himself for what he'd almost done," Lena went on and gave the alien sisters each a look. "He wanted me to let you know that he's very sorry. And Jason," she said, addressing him again directly, "I forgot to tell you: the other day, the government sent some agents with the invitation to next week's meeting. I'm very grateful that you suggested including him. Thank you!"

"You're welcome."

Lena smiled at him and left with Anja to make the call.

After a minute of silence, Mick cleared his throat. "Ehm, Jase? There is something we wanted to discuss with you."

"You're not bringing up Sidney again!" Vanessa told him. "The rebel councillors are arriving tomorrow and a spy just slipped through our fingers. It's not the right time to go out for some partying."

"Yeah, _tomorrow_!" Mick emphasised. "And the government will take care of that chick! It's the perfect time for some distraction, and maybe the last opportunity for quite some time for us to be together. As nice, as it is to hang around here with you guys like old times, I would like to show you some of our life nowadays."

"To go out in Sidney?" Jason frowned.

"Yeah, we could go for some shopping," Mick suggested, "look for some nice stuff the girls can wear next week."

"We already have our dresses, Mick," Mera told him.

"Come on," Cass pleaded, "we never do anything most people of our age do."

"That's because we have bigger things on our plate than most people," Jason reminded her. "Anyway, Sidney is loud and crowded. We should rather retreat to the Island, do some swimming and resting."

"Why do you always have to be so grown up and serious?" Brett complained. "Couldn't you just once be not the killjoy and be a little more lose?"

Jason lifted one eyebrow. "You are right the last person to tell me about responsibility."

Brett slouched. "Yeah, I know. Sorry," he murmured.

"Well, it sure would do us some good to get out of here," Froggy said carefully.

"I have to admit," Mera added, "I'm also a little curious."

Jason sighed. "What do you think?" he asked Neri quietly. They were still holding hands.

"I wanna see," Neri responded and took his arm with her free hand, moving closer to him. "With our friends."

He mirrored her smile before turning back to the others. "Fine," he said. "But we need transport to the mainland, hotel rooms and transport back home. Any idea, how to pay for that?"

The others exchanged a quick look before he found himself again in the centre of attention.

Jason sighed, this time in resignation. "Fine, I'll talk to Mum."

"Aces!" Brett cried and gave each Mick and Froggy a high five.


	51. Chapter 51

The boat gained speed again. They had stopped a few kilometres away from the harbour of Cairns, so the girls could get on board and change after their swim. In Cairns, they would take the plane to Sidney which meant at least four hours with only water to drink for hydration.

Lena, Anja, Vanessa and Cass were discussing shopping opportunities, while Brett, Mick and Froggy played cards. Mick gave Jason another strange look, then left the game to join him in at the bow of the boat.

"So," Mick said slowly and wriggled his eyebrows. Jason crossed his arms in front of his chest, knowing exactly where this conversation would lead to. "You and Neri, you will share a hotel room?"

Jason shrugged. "Wouldn't be the first time," he responded in a neutral tone.

Mick scratched his head in confusion. "And no Sex?" The annoyed look Jason gave him was ignored. "She's not underage or something? By the laws of her planet?" Mick asked.

Jason shook his head and rolled his eyes. "No, she's not. And the sex-drive is considered to be a natural urge just like breathing. There is no such a thing as a virtue issues or religious damnation."

The second he told Mick he already regretted it, for now, Mick was staring at him.

"Geez, what's wrong with you?" he wanted to know. "I mean, Neri's hot and your girlfriend and all!"

"Did it ever occur to you that it's none of your business? Like at all?"

Mick rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, well, Vanessa may have pointed it out – once or twice."

"Then why can't you just leave it?"

Mick bit his lip and shifted from one foot to the other. "Come on, Jase!" he begged. "I mean, you are with an alien girl from another planet! You can't mind me that I'm curious."

"Mick," Jason replied sharply, "I will not talk to you about Sex or my relationship with Neri, for that matter. Cut it out already! I'm serious," he warned him when Mick opened his mouth in protest. "I'm gonna throw you overboard!"

Mick held his hands up defensively. "Sorry, mate! Wait – are you guys okay?" he asked then.

The sincere concern in his voice made Jason's anger vanish and he was left with only some frustration and annoyance. Through the glass windows of the steering cabin, Neri and Mera came on deck in casual clothing. Jason's and Neri's eyes met and smilingly, he held out his hand to signal her to come over. She wore a pretty white sundress with red flowers but for all he knew, she could wear a potato bag: the sight of her would still make his heart skip a beat.

"We are," he answered Mick's question when Neri approached them. He put an arm around her. "We are more than okay," he ensured Mick while still looking at her. Neri wrapped her arms around him, her head resting on his shoulder and Jason turned back to Mick. "We may have issues like every other couple and we will solve them together. On our own time, in our own way. The two of us."

The grip around his waist tightened and Mick smiled at them. "Well, you're not like every other couple," he said, putting his hands into his pockets. "You're Jason and Neri. You're like Barbie and Ken! _It_ , you know? I cannot imagine the amount of pressure which must be on you. You had and still have to deal with so much on your own. I – and I think, I can speak for the others as well, – we want you to know that you're not. Alone, I mean."

"Thank you, Mick," Neri said sincerely and he blushed.

"Will you back off now with the Sex-topic?" Jason asked. "Or do I have to call for Vanessa?"

Mick quickly shook his head and made another defensive hand gesture. "Please don't," he pleaded. "I was hoping to get lucky tonight! Please don't spoil it for me!"

The boat slowed down and turned around to park in backwards. Mick winked and went to the others who got ready to leave the boat.

"Get lucky?" Neri wanted to know. "Does he want to play a game?"

"Yap," Jason responded, "he does."

He hesitated, then slowly turned around to face her, strangling her by putting his hands on the railing at each side of her. "Getting lucky means getting sex," he said, his heart racing while locking eyes with Neri. It was the first time, he directly addressed it with her and he couldn't tell yet if he felt comfortable with that.

"Like _having a naughty_?" she asked, grinningly reminding him of Brett's comment back in Vancouver.

He sighed, rolled his eyes by the memory and nodded. "Yes, the same as in _getting laid_ , _having intimate relations_ or _root …_ "

Neri cocked her head to the side. "You have a lot of words for mating."

"Yeah, and lately it seems it's a lot on their minds as well," he replied and gave the others a quick look.

"And not on yours?"

Their eyes met and she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Of course, it is," he said slowly and closed the few inches of space left between them. "Look, we have to get off the boat to catch a flight now but we'll talk about it later in private."

"Promise?"

"Promise."


	52. Chapter 52

Froggy and H.E.L.E.N. had done one hell of a job to create fake ID's for Froggy, Cass, Mera and Brett. They entered the club around the corner of their hotel without any problems and were instantly greeted by humming loud beats.

Anja who was a lawyer had not been very keen on the idea to take minors into a club, let alone let them drink but had given in at last. Most of them had no intention of getting drunk anyway.

"So, you think the trial could work?" Jason asked Anja as they managed to get a table in a corner far away enough from the dance floor to talk.

Anja nodded. "Yes, but don't get too enthusiastic. I sat in a lot of courtrooms and I saw a lot of cases turn out quite unexpectedly."

"Unexpected? How?" Neri wanted to know.

"The jury voted _guilty_ although the evidence showed clearly that the accused was innocent and the other way round."

"I don't know what's more disturbing," Lena said. "It's horrible how far you can get by corruption."

Mera shook her head. "I don't think our people could be corrupt. The rebels are maybe brainwashed and some of them really believe in Malakat's ideas but we felt they don't want a war either."

"I'm not talking about your people," Anja said and addressed Jason again. "You said you want to include humans in the jury. You have to keep in mind, they might be the weakest link. To our expense."

"We have to include them," Jason replied. "De Souza will take care of it. And I doubt she will choose the participants lightly."

"Guys!" Mick cried and placed a plate with drinks on the table. "We are here to have fun! Bad enough you won't drink but do you have to kill the mood too?"

"Yeah," Cass agreed, "we can talk about the heavy stuff tomorrow. This is supposed to be fun! Can we just be young for one evening?"

"We are young," Neri responded.

"Maybe physically," Mick said and sat down next to Vanessa, "but with you guys, I rather feel like going out with my parents!"

"Come on, Jase," Brett begged, ignoring the irritated look Jason gave him. "I know you're still mad at me but for once, can you be my brother and not my Dad?" He shoved the plate closer to Jason which not just had their soda on it but also tiny glasses with a suspicious ruby-red liquid in it.

"Jason! Jason!" Mick began to cheer him on. Froggy, Brett and Cass fell in. Even Mera joined them and Neri laughed.

Jason grinned and sighed resigned. He grabbed one of the shots and drank it in one swallow. It was way too sweet with a hint of strawberry while burning down his throat at the same time.

Mick, Brett, Cass, Froggy, Vanessa and Lena cheered and drank their shots. Neri grabbed one of the glasses and smelled it with a confused look, then drank it down like the others who watched her in surprise.

She wildly shook her head and shoved the glass away from her with a disgusted expression. "This taste bad," she complained. "Why do you drink it?"

"It's not about the taste," Mick explained, "but rather about its magical ability to turn boring people into fun people." He winked at Jason.

"Or even more an idiot in his case," Vanessa pointed out.

"Oh, don't pretend you don't like idiots," Mick grinned at her, his tone flirty.

"Not all of them are so bad," she replied, locking eyes with him.

"Get her another shot quickly," Mick said to Brett. "Then I get her to admit she actually likes me!"

"Idiot!" Vanessa took him by the chin and pulled his face in her direction so she could kiss him.

"So Mick gets lucky tonight," Neri assumed quietly in Jason's ear.

"I guess so," he replied, his face close to hers.

"Noooo!" Brett tossed in. "This is NOT gonna be a couple's night. Everybody dance floor!"

Neri grinned at Jason who hid his relief that Brett changed the topic so fast. "You can dance. I remember."

"You wanna dance?"

"Yes," she insisted and took him by the hand to pull him up.

It was a good thing she didn't let go until they were in the middle of the dance floor, for it was very crowded. The beats were loud and the bass humming in a steady rhythm which was easy to follow. Neri mirrored his simple movements and Jason found himself surprisingly happy. This was certainly not a situation he had ever imagined them in but it turned out to be a lot of fun.

Neri was radiant and even though he wasn't very fond of this kind of music, the energy around them was infectious and just ordered them to move along with the others. He couldn't stop touching her. Her hand, her back, her waist. Even while dancing he managed to place his hands on her without being inappropriate or lose touch. The pulsating rhythm of the songs made him feel somehow alive and awake.

Boldly, he took another one of those strawberry shots Mick offered them. It tasted still as disgusting as the first one and he began to feel a little dizzy but also lighter. The melody of the current song was somehow familiar and when he realised it was a cover from a classic rock song, he began to sing along. Neri laughed at him and Mick grabbed his shoulders as they both swagged back and forth to the tune. At some point, Jason stumbled over one line and the sight was starting to get blurry.

"You're okay, mate?" Mick asked, his voice a little slurred when Jason had stopped dancing.

Neri suddenly grabbed Jason, watching him with concern, clearly questioning his well-being. Grateful for her being so strong, he took some deep breaths to regain his balance. Neri put a hand on his forehead and his view cleared up.

"Thank you," he told her into her ear and she smiled.

"You can't hold your liqueur, can you?" Mick laughed and patted his back.

"I'm not exactly used to it," Jason replied loudly over the music then turning back to Neri. "I'll fetch us water, okay?"

She nodded and he made his way through the crowd to the bar. The air was warm and steamy, pregnant with a mixture of perfume and sweat. It made him feel sick. The last shot had clearly been a mistake.

"Two bottles of water, please," he told the barkeeper and put the money note on the counter.

"Let me guess," a feminine voice in his ear said, "the red club special?"

He turned in the direction and found himself next to a dark-haired girl in a black dress sitting on a barstool, her red and shiny lips curved up in a friendly, open smile. He grinned back and nodded.

"It's horrible," he admitted. "I don't know why I took the second one."

She laughed at him. "Because you don't feel anything by the first one and you tell yourself, it wasn't that bad!"

"Yeah, there's something on it," he responded when suddenly someone passed by and shoved her forward into his direction.

"Sorry," she said quickly, her hand on his arm to keep her from falling off her stool.

"No problem."

"So, in here for the first time?" she wanted to know.

"Yeah, I'm not from around here. Just visiting some friends," he explained and took the water bottles from the barkeeper. "I gotta go back to them. It was nice talking to you. Have a nice evening!"

"Okay, bye."

He made his way back and gave the other bottle to Neri who didn't look as happy anymore.

"I think, you just broke a heart," Mick told him and nodded in direction of the bar.

Jason shook his head and took a sip of his water. "Nah, it was just nice chitchat while waiting for the drinks."

"Oh no, she was checking out your ass when you walked back!"

Jason ignored him.

"Jason?" Mera asked who appeared next to them. "Can we go soon? We need to hydrate soon." She pointed to Neri's empty bottle. He gave her the rest of his water and Neri put some on her lips and forehead.

"Sure." He pulled Neri closer. "You're okay? You wanna go?"

"Yes, please."

He scolded himself for not being attentive enough. Of course he knew about the dehydrating effect of alcohol and he should have known it wouldn't do any good to someone who needed water as much as oxygen. He held her tightly on their way back out of the club.


	53. Chapter 53

Lena, Anja and Vanessa had promised to look after Mick, Brett and Cass. The way back to the hotel was short but the fresh air helped with the dizziness and the quiet was a relief for his ears.

At the hotel, Froggy and Mera told them good night and went to their rooms.

It was a very warm night and Jason stood in his pyjama shorts and white shirt on the balcony while waiting for Neri to finish her shower. Sidney was loud and bright even at this hour. Cars drove by and the street was crowded with laughing and chatting people. Living under the sea, far away from any pulsating city made him realise how much of an alien he had become himself. They would need their friends more than ever to get in touch with the actual human world.

The scent of soap and chlorinated water told him of Neri's approaching and he turned around. She must have bought the silk white two-piece-negligee today for he had never seen it before. The low-cut top with thin straps and the close-cut shorts made him blush. Neri smiled unsurely.

"Lena bought it for me," she told him and tugged at the hem of the top. "It feels nice."

Jason conquered the distance between them and put his hands on her hips. "It does," he agreed and cleared his throat.

He couldn't tell which made him more nervous: the lack of fabric, or the remaining emphasising her curves. Lena was a vixen, that was for sure. The generous cleavage made it difficult to keep him from staring.

"She was pretty," Neri interrupted his thoughts.

"Who?"

"The girl at the bar."

"Yeah?" Jason shrugged. "I didn't pay her much attention. I just waited for the water and to get back to you." He wrapped his arm around her neck, pulled her as close as possible and captured her mouth with his to end the conversation for good.

For a second she stiffened, obviously aware of his intention and not willing to drop the topic so easily. But he opened her lips, owned them by softly tugging at her upper lip while wrapping his other arm also around her. He could tell she melted into his kiss. Her arms were now tightly entangled around him and she nestled against him. He breathed in her scent and left another sweet pick on her lips before finally breaking the kiss. But he didn't let go, just deepened the embrace und buried his face in her hair. His fingertips played with her hair and stroked her neck.

He couldn't imagine any place or any other person to be more comfortable with although his promise to talk about Sex uncomfortably lingered in a corner of his mind. He had never thought of himself as uptight but suddenly everyone else – even his younger brother who had Sex before him – seemed so much more relaxed around intimacy-related issues. Why was it so damn hard? Why did he have to make it so complicated while being with the most uncomplicated woman on Earth? After all, the issue was to let her in rather than getting physical right away.

His heart was beating rapidly and his mouth got dry while he tried to get his thoughts in some sort of order. "It's so difficult for me to talk about it, especially with you, Neri," he murmured close to her ear.

"Why?" she wanted to know while stroking over his back.

"Because I feel embarrassed and insecure," he confessed and retreated a few inches to look at her. She watched him in expectation. "Usually, I'm the one to be in charge of everything. I'm the one to be responsible for everything because I know what to do and how to do it," he explained. "But with this, I'm totally lost and I don't know what to expect and I'm afraid of embarrassing myself and to disappoint you."

Neri gave him an affectionate smile. "You sound like making plan for a mission," she said chuckling and covered his right cheek with her hand. "You can't make plan for us to … be together."

"I know. And that's frightening." He nestled against her hand and she stroked over his face and hair.

"You're not alone in charge. I am too," she said firmly. "We both decide."

"You're right," he responded, "we both decide. And all this time, I was so busy with myself that I never actually asked you what it is that you want," he realised. He stroked her arms and with his hands on her waist, he pulled her closer again. "Do you want us to be intimate?"

Neri nodded. "Yes, I want to be close to you," she said, her hands on his chest and fingertips slightly tugging at the seamline of his shirt. Her tone and her touch left his skin comfortably tingling. "But even more I want you to talk to me. The same like now. And that you are happy. I want you to want me too."

"I do," Jason replied with a sigh and rested his forehead against hers. "But I want to get to know you step by step." Neri frowned with a questioning look and he continued, his cheeks flushed. "You know, physically," he murmured. "About your body. What you like, where you like to be touched and how."

His face was burning hot now and took a deep breath before locking eyes with her again. Neri smiled – _grinned_ at him and she bit her lip trying to hide her amusement but the shaking of her shoulders gave away how much she wanted to break into laughter.

Jason knew she would never make fun of him so he just smiled back. "What's so funny?"

"I know you for many years," she smirked, "but I never know you're shy."

Jason's face fell at her realisation. "I never thought I'd be," he admitted relieved.

Not uptight. Just shy. He could live with that.

"Maybe you're just shy with me," Neri thought out loud.

"Probably," he agreed and nodded. "So … it couldn't hurt if you were a little … more in charge than me."

Neri straightened up with an odd expression and for a second he wished he could take it back. Her smile was the closest to devilish as possible for Neri's standards and her eyes were dark.

"I'm in charge?" she repeated.

"No, I said …," he tried but she silenced him with a kiss.

"Too late," she stated smirking between kisses. "I'm in charge and you can not fight me because I'm stronger than you."

Jason kissed back and grinned. "Well, then it's a good thing I trust you."

The flicker in her playful expression was one of the good ones as it got mixed up with affection. He could see how much this little statement meant to her.

The following kiss could be referred to by several attributes but shy was definitely not one of them. Their breath mingled as their open mouths met. Neri tugged as his upper lip, her hands in his hair and at his neck but soon working their way down to his chest and then to his back, tightly cling on him as she broke the kiss just to deepen it even further. Jason followed her every movement, responded immediately when he felt her tongue slipping into his mouth. The touch of their tongues was eager and demanding.

Jason just loved how she tasted. The sentiment of the soft, warm flesh made him feel alive. He drowned in the feeling of her body and the warm touch of their lips. Her hands travelled under his shirt and stroked the skin on his back. Usually, at this point, he would have started thinking about retreating. But now, as he had decided to let her take the lead it just felt like everything was in place. He enjoyed her fingertips grazing his skin and as they went to his belly, he broke the kiss and lifted his arms for her to pull the shirt over his head.

He had been topless in front of her before but never in this context. He breathed away the hint of vulnerability as Neri traced the lines of his chest and abs with a fascinated expression. When their gaze met again, her eyes were still dark with desire but also wide in curiosity.

Jason nodded encouraging and closed his eyes while she was continuing her exploration. Her fingertips stroked over his nipple and his breath got caught in his throat. Her hand froze and then he felt another touch on his other nipple. His whole body seemed to jump awake and prickling with electricity. His skin was suddenly twice as sensitive. He had been aroused but now he was rock hard and every time she grazed one of his nipples again, another jolt was sent down to his member.

He opened his eyes and captured her hands with his. Their eyes met and her smirk told him she knew exactly what her touch had done to him. She also knew this was as far as it would get this night. Relieved, that she didn't seem to mind to end this making-out session at this point, he bent down to kiss her and pulled her into an embrace. She went with his change of pace, for this time, the kiss was of the sweeter kind. His lips grazed hers almost lazily, caressed and stroked them, left only for another soft meeting. He placed another two gentle kisses on her mouth before burying his face in her hair. Neri wrapped his arms around him and hugged him tightly, her head resting in the hollow between neck and shoulder.

She made a sound, not unlike a purring cat. "Can we sleep like this?" she asked into his chest. "It feels so good and warm."

He kissed her on her hair. "Sure," he murmured.


	54. Chapter 54

Maybe some part of them actually intended to go to sleep but after slipping into the sheets, ignoring the bigger part of the bed while holding each other closely, Jason found himself wide-awake and physically prickling with anticipation. Neri's soft hands travelled over his chest, teasing and stroking the sensitive parts, she just had discovered. Jason lay on his back, caressed her neck with one hand while the other played with the seam of her shirt at her waist, once in a while slipping under the textile. Their kisses were slow and the meeting of their tongues lazy but intense none the less.

There was no distance between them anymore. The barrier had finally been broken and a new kind of electricity had taken over them. Of course, he still felt nervous thinking about touching Neri in a more intimate way in the near future but the warm, vibrant bubble surrounding them put his mind at ease. After all, he had dreamed of being with her like this for a long time.

He shifted to the side to face her. His hand ran over the curve of her butt and down at the back of her thighs to her knee, then lifted her leg to straddle him in one smooth movement. Her skin felt plain and soft, for it seemed Ocean People had less pelage than humans did. Neri sighed and he could hear her smile when he left a trail of open-mouthed kisses at her neck.

He captured her mouth again and played with strands of her hair. She nestled up to him, pulled herself even closer to him to leave no space between them. His breath was caught in his throat as she put some pressure on his arousal and she reacted with another demanding kiss. He was already addicted to the taste of her tongue and the feeling of the warm flesh against his own – and still, he would never get used to the frisson that ran in waves through his body.

Jason realised that some part of him had always expected a making-out-session to end up in sex too fast. That the urge for relief and the lack of control would have led to an unsatisfying quick end, reducing intimacy into a cheap and unfulfilling experience.

But every single touch turned out to be pleasure and excitement. It rewarded itself, and had become the aim rather than an orgasm. The need for her, the craving was there but it lingered in some corner, patiently waiting for its turn. The whole time, he had been scared off by some mistaken idea, a misconception which could have been avoided by a leap of faith.

Jason smiled during kisses and Neri broke away. She took his face into her hands and in the semi-darkness, he could see her smiling back at him.

"You're happy, yes?" she whispered and stroked his face.

"What do you think?" he replied just as quiet and rested his forehead against hers.

Her fingertips ran slowly down his neck to his chest, redrawing the lines of his muscles. "You're beautiful," she said.

He blushed. "You've seen me half-naked a lot already," he murmured.

"Yes, and now I can touch."

"You wanted to touch me?" he wondered and swallowed hard, his mouth dry. "Why didn't you? Why did you never make a move at me? You must have known how I felt – _feel_ – about you."

"You were not ready," Neri replied and sat up on her knees with her hands still on him. "And I was neither."

Jason straightened up, using a pillow for his back, so he could sit comfortably. "You had reservations?" he wanted to know. "About us?"

"I was afraid to make wrong decision. When you were my friend, I could go back to the Planet of Oceans. Be a princess and a queen someday to my people. I could have close part of my heart with you. But not if you become my heart."

"You were afraid you'd choose me over your people?" Jason asked disbelieving and Neri nodded. He took her hands into his and shook his head. "As flattering as that is, I know you better. You would have never disregarded your obligations, not for me, not for anyone. And I guess you fell in love with me because you knew you'd never have to choose with me."

"I love you for you," she objected quickly, her forehead frowned. "Not for convenience."

Jason chuckled. "I never said that and that thought certainly never crossed my mind. What I meant," he continued a little more serious, "was that we're even in our sense of duty. We both slide easily into leader positions because we feel responsible for the people around us. The both of us, we always met at the same eye level. Your missions were my missions. I would have followed you – even if we had just stayed friends. Maybe, in one hundred years or so, they would have told stories about us, about the tragic pair who saved our world but never managed to give in to their feelings," – he caressed her hands and she laughed – "but I would have followed you nevertheless."

He reached out to her waist and pulled her on top of him, so she was now straddling him. "But I definitely prefer how it turned out."

"Yes," she replied smilingly, "me too."

"By the way," he added after a short silence, "I think, you're beautiful, too. But I'm not sure about that negligée."

Her eyes went dark. "You want me to take it off?"

Jason swallowed hard and heat flushed into his face – and elsewhere which she commented with a satisfied grin. "Not what I meant," he murmured quickly. "I wanted to say that I prefer your old dress. You look beautiful, even breath-taking in Earth clothing and dresses. But wearing those always means sharing you with the world. It means stepping out into the real world, so to say. And your old dress is part of our own private world before it turned all crazy. Kinda makes me feel being with you safe and exclusive."

Neri nodded. "Yes, I like old dress better, too. The new dresses look nice but I feel like … not _real_ me but version for outside people. How they need to see me."

"Unfortunately Earth is a very superficial place. Clothes make people, they say."

"It is same with you and ORCA uniform. ORCA was always where my friends were."

Jason smiled. "Yeah, to me it feels like a second skin. And it is home. But I won't have a lot of opportunities to wear it in the near future."

"Yes, home is far away."

"Sorry," he said quietly and pulled her closer, "way to ruin the mood."

"I still can take off clothes," she suggested grinning and he laughed.

Suddenly, Neri straightened up and looked in direction of the door. A loud knock and some rumbling brought the definite end to their intimate moment.


	55. Chapter 55

„I will NEVER – EVER! – drink again", Brett swore, his face green while he was leaning over the railing. During the flight, he had barely spoken while Vanessa and Lena constantly apologized for leaving Brett out of their sight for one minute.

Brett had stumbled into their room last night, wasted to the core, held on his feet by a hardly less drunk Mike. He had spent the night over the toilet seat, Jason sitting next to him.

Now he felt tired and annoyed. Neri had slept with Mera while he had been stuck with a constantly vomiting Brett – not exactly the night he wished for.

"I hope that teaches you a lesson", he told Brett.

"Easy for you to say", his little brother replied. "You have a girlfriend who can take away your jag with one touch!"

"I had no jag. I was just feeling a little dizzy but fair enough – ", Jason looked at Neri who watched Brett pitiful. "Something you can do?"

Neri smiled. "I can try but how will you learn?"

Brett moaned. "Don't be like that!"

Jason grinned. "I had no idea of that sadistic side of yours."

"Please!" Brett begged. Jason and Neri exchanged a glance and Neri put her hand on Brett's forehead. The relief was immediately seen in his expression.

"Jason," Lena said as she approached them, putting her phone away. "This was my dad. About Bones … Turns out, she is Kellar's grand-niece!"

"I remember that horrible woman," Mera commented. "She was cruel. She would have let you die."

"Yes, and she was not very happy about Dad not letting me. Dad made sure that she had to leave UBRI before he resigned. Otherwise, she would have been the next director."

"I left shortly after that," Mera said. "What happened to Earth after? The people must have noticed the almost-apocalypse!"

"One third of the world was asleep," Froggy explained, "and in other parts, heavy storms and earthquakes are very common. Many people had to deal with their own problems and didn't notice the weird sky. Also, it was just a matter of minutes when the sky changed back. Some maybe just thought about it as a weird dream or a hallucination."

"At this time, there was a severe hurricane over Florida," Cass added. "This season had been one of the worst in recent years. The rather strange thing was how fast it settled down."

"Of course, a lot of people later talked," Froggy went on, "and posted on the internet about the _Red Sky Event_ – how they called it. Scientists explained it with a heavy solar flare."

"A solar flare?" Jason repeated. "One look at their instruments must have told them otherwise."

Froggy shrugged. "The radiation throughout the atmosphere seemed similar. It fried many electronic devices globally. Case closed."

"Did anyone relate the Red Sky Event to the Red Virus?" Lena wanted to know.

Froggy grimaced. "Guess who?"

"Akio Tenjou," Jason replied. "And if he's teaming up with Bones …"

"With a bit of luck, she won't come far," Anja said. "The security personnel on every airport, harbor and train station are highly alerted right now. I think she is still in Australia."

"It's not so much her location that bothers me," Froggy answered, his jaw tight. "We know her destination but we don't know anything about her motives. Tenjou is an idealist. He worships people like Edward Snowden and Tess Grimestone who fought for data transparency and free press. He wants people to know. But Bones besides her being a talented hacker is a complete unknown."

"Was there anything in her files?" Jason asked Lena who shook her head.

"No. She was a quiet person. Kept to herself most of the time."

"Brett?"

His little brother was still a little pale, clinging to the railing. "We didn't really talk much …," he murmured.

Cass rolled her eyes but grinned.

"I tried to apply a modified version of my query to seek information about her in the social media," Froggy said. "But there are 83 people with that name in the world and I'm still trying to nail it down."

"Anything we can help you with?" Lena asked.

Froggy shook his head. "Her relation to Kellar might help. As soon as we arrive on ORCA, I will tell De Souza about it. Maybe we can get to know Amelia through her family."

"I have bad feeling," Neri said quietly. "We need to know soon."


	56. Chapter 56

I'm so sorry it takes so long for a new chapter these days. I'll try to put my focus back on writing since I really like to finish it and I'm very happy that you're still interested in the story.

* * *

 _"… The Oceanpeople are perfectly adapted to an environment mostly consisting of water. Their planet`s oceans span almost 92% of its surface. Their swimming and diving skills are therefore developed similar to those of Earth`s whales. Their physical appearance is alike to humans but their DNA structure shows significant differences. Another feature is their high potential for telepathy which is also highly resembling the communication between certain kinds of whales and potent animals. The women show especially high developed abilities in this area which was part the reason for the Oceanpeople to establish a matriarchal society. The government consists of a Queen and a council with elected members by the common folk._

 _The current acting Queen Shalamorn is pleading for asylum for her people. The so-called Red Virus which has also caused a lot of damage to Earth`s marine ecosystems appeared almost two decades ago on the Oceanplanet. It destroyed over 80% of the ecosystems. Most species went extinct and the Oceanpeople are facing extinction themselves from famines._

 _The cure for the Red Virus has been found on Earth and the application forced the Red Virus to retreat on both planets but the damage to the Oceanplanet has been so severe that a complete recovery will take decades up to centuries.  
_

 _Queen Shalamorn is therefore not just asking for a place to stay for her people to recover but also for resources like seeds and minor stocks of animals to repopulate the Oceanplanet..."_

"Abilities, societal structure, history, the pyramids... but no word of Malakat," Brett said and lowered the paper everyone had been given.

"We had to take this part out," Diane replied. "The presence of Zheri and Sherkat make things complicated."

"Yeah, but people gonna ask soon how the Virus got here," Brett answered. "The ain`t stupid."

"Let`s just hope they will focus on other parts first," Diane sighed. "It`s a lot to take in anyway."

The huge assembly hall was crowded and Jason was already sweating in his suit. Partly due to the warm air, and partly because he was nervous after all. He had gotten used to talking to politicians and other high-ranking officials but being in the centre of attention of over 500 people was something else entirely.

Of course, they had enough chairs for everyone but the scientists and politicians were all on their feet and craned to get a glimpse of the aliens standing on a platform in front of them. There were big screens everywhere in the room, so even people at the back of the hall could see them. Still, they didn't seem to trust the technology and rather tried to see them with their own eyes.

The councilor's arrival had been smooth, their move to a deserted island quick and unsuspicious. Froggy's software took care of most new conspiracy sites and articles on the internet. Most of their friends had to go back to their lives. Only Froggy, Lena and Anja had joined them, all three of them looking as nervous as Jason felt.

Shalamorn was deep in conversation with Rugeaux and De Souza. Zheri and Sherkat stood next to them, listening closely, watching the crowd with great suspicion. The girls, Diane, Brett and their friends were waiting in a corner for the whole show to get started.

Jason could tell Neri felt uncomfortable. Her gaze flickered around, probably trying to get a hold of all the emotions and thoughts which were summoned to this room. Jason saw a lot of curiosity but not every face looked friendly. He took Neri's hand in his.

"Focus on me," he whispered. "Take a deep breath and remember that you're strong and beautiful and that you like stamping bananas with your feet."

Neri laughed. "I'm sure that will make them like me. I learned from you that it is weird."

"Yeah, you are a weirdo," Jason grinned. "But all the people in here, they are weirdos too. Geeks and nerds, brilliant in their own way but many of them are certainly socially awkward. You'll fit right in there."

The lights flickered twice – the sign for everyone to get seated. It took a few minutes and Rugeaux waited patiently at the lectern until the whispers died down.

"Good morning, and welcome to this historic event," Madame President began. "You all have been briefed about our guests and the current situation. I know you have a million questions – at least! – and there will be time for them to be answered. Humanity had always wondered if we are alone in the universe and now we discovered that we are not. There are countless stories about First Encounters, about our future. Half of them painted a very dark, dystrophic picture – a picture of scarce resources, of wars and hostile aliens. The other half dreamed of space exploration as the ultimate adventure, dreamed of a galaxy filled with friendly extraterrestrials who would teach us about miraculous new technologies and a new view of the world as we know it. "

Rugeaux paused and exchanged a quick look with Shalamorn before she continued. "As it turns out, it is a little bit of both and not in the romantic way many of us have been hoping for. The recent events reminded us of our vulnerability and we are faced with a very difficult situation. What I ask of you is a challenging task but you are the Earth's best and brightest. You're scientists, politicians, explorers, researchers and every single one of you is extraordinary in a specific field. But you're also human and we need all the pages of the book to solve this crisis. We will need your ideas, your skills as professionals but we also depend on your compassion and your curiosity as human beings."

She paused again and on the screen appeared a schedule. "You all have been given this schedule," she went on. "During the next week, we will have several speakers on different topics. They will explain the situation further and outline the opportunities we have at hand for the moment. Today`s focus is on getting to know each other. Queen Shalamorn will introduce herself and her people to you. There will be time for questions. Also, members of the Bates family who happen to be very close to the royal family will tell about the first contact and their involvement the last couple of years. Senator DeSouza will furthermore inform you about the decisions made so far. I have to remind you that it is crucial to keep the secrecy we managed to obtain so far. Thank you for understanding. And with no further due, I give you Her Majesty Queen Shalamorn."

Rugeaux stepped aside and opened her arm in direction of Shalamorn in an inviting gesture. Shalamorn smiled and nodded. She took the lectern and as discussed, the girls took a step forward, as well. Jason, Brett, Diane and the rest stayed behind but Jason made sure to stand close to Neri.

"Thank you, Madame President for your kind introduction," she began. "I am Shalamorn, anointed Queen of the Ocean of Planets, and these are my heirs: my daughters Neri and Mera. We, the people of the Oceanplanet, have been watching humanity for a long time. With curiosity and wonder we observed your developments, your achievements in science and technology, admired your imagination and waited patiently for the time, when you would be ready for us. But as the centuries passed by, we grew concerned for you neglected your care for Earth in your striving for wealth. We watched you as you ripped ores and wood from the ground, as animal species got instinct and you filled your atmosphere with toxic gases and dust while the oceans were poisoned with … plastic and oil."

De Souza's jaw ground. Shalamorn shot a glance at her and Jason oppressed a sigh of relief as Shalamorn got the hint. This was certainly not the moment to accuse humanity of killing Earth while pleading to settle down on it.

"We decided it was time to intervene. Almost two decades ago, my husband was sent to Earth, along with a small science team and our daughters. His mission was to establish a dialogue with humans, to build a bridge and to prevent you from making the same mistakes we made. Earth is essential to the well-being of the whole galaxy, the consequences of its death unpredictable."

Jason could hear Brett huffing and he knew, he was thinking of the simulation they had seen in the spaceship. He shot him a warning look.

"The spacecraft crashed on Earth," Shalamorn continued. "My husband and my daughters survived but soon my husband died of a fever. My daughters grew up on Earth as Diane, Jason and Brett Bates" – she gave each of them a warm smile, "welcomed them into their family, protected and helped them fulfilling the task they had been given by my people."

Shalamorn paused for a second, her expression growing very serious. "I could not be there for my daughters for I was a prisoner by the time the spacecraft had arrived on Earth. The Red Virus had appeared only a few months before they began their voyage to Earth and fear was growing among my people. The best scientists were working day and night to find a cure but it was highly resistant to our efforts and we only managed to slow it down for some time. There were – _are_ – critical voices among my people who could not understand why I sent both my daughters and an important bit of technology to Earth instead of focusing on their needs. As we lost contact with my husband, I boarded a spacecraft myself to retrieve my daughters and the machine which has the ability to heal our oceans. Unfortunately, a radical ambitious man named Malakat, a man I had trusted for years as an advisor, had become the leader of the opposition. Right before the craft took off, he imprisoned me and convinced my people of my death as the craft exploded right in front of their eyes. It was only three months ago that I was freed and able to intervene before both our planets were destroyed. During my imprisonment, I could only catch glimpses of the events happening around me, had to watch how fear and anger took over my people when their children starved, unable to stop Malakat from using that for his own gain. He is now in detention but the consequences of his actions led to this desperate situation. The Red Virus has been cured but the ecosystem of the whole planet has taken such great damage, we face starvation. I am standing in front of you, not as an alien Queen, but simply as a woman with a big family and I am asking to help me save my people by granting us asylum."

Shalamorn took a step back and let her words sink in. The big hall was silent at first. Then, whispers swelled up. Finally, one man stood up, adjusting his glasses and waiting for a signal which allowed him to speak. Rugeaux gave it with a nod.

"Dr. Carl Svenson from the Californian Institut of Technology. Madame… _Your Majesty_ … how did the Red Virus end up on Earth?"

"Straight to the point," Brett murmured.

For a moment, the room went silent, everyone staring at Shalamorn and waiting for a response. Those on the stage exchanged glances while Shalamorn hesitated. Jason's eyes locked with De Souza's. She gave a tiny shake of her head, warning him to interfere – as if he had any idea how to react properly in the first place. He felt helpless and most people around him had great difficulties hiding the panic on their faces. How could they be so unprepared? Did they really think they could fool these people?

De Souza was watching Shalamorn intensely and Jason got the feeling, she took this as another test if the Queen was the right person to handle this situation. Rugeaux looked ready to interfere but before she could take action, Shalamorn finally spoke again.

"I wish that was a question easy to answer," she said slowly. "Everything surrounding the Red Virus is a highly flammable political subject, not just between both our people but also among my own."

Svenson kept eye contact with her. "So you brought it here?"

This time, Shalamorn didn't hesitate. "Yes."

"Was the virus a natural phenomenon?"

"No, it was created."

"Its release, was it accidentally or intentionally?"

"The latter."

Shocked whispers filled the room. De Souza looked surprised but also unwillingly impressed. Obviously, she had not expected Shalamorn to be so bluntly honest.

"By whom and for what purpose?"

"By Malakat. To create fear and abuse it for his striving for power."

"Lies!" hissed Zheri. Loudly.

"As I said before", Shalamorn continued calmly, locking eyes with Zheri for a second before turning back to the waiting audience, "the Red Virus is a difficult subject to dispute until you have the whole picture."

"It seems that picture has different sides."

"Indeed. And now you've heard my story, it is up to these people beside and behind me to tell their own."

Svenson nodded. "Sounds like a long tale."

"Yes, so we better start at the beginning."


	57. Chapter 57

„Hi", Brett grinned and waved to the audience. „I'm Brett Bates and I haven't had a drink in five days … Oh, right. Wrong meeting."

Hesitant laughter erupted from the audience. Jason's gaze met Mera's and they both had to look away to hide their grin. Diane looked annoyed. The alien councillors blinked confused and the human politicians exchanged puzzled looks.

"I was ten years old when my mom, my big brother Jason and I moved to ORCA", Brett continued somewhat more serious. "Man, I can hardly remember my life before that. It was exciting – a research facility down at the bottom of the ocean, new people, new friends – and certainly a lot of opportunity for mischief. I guess, you already figured that I'm the real troublemaker of the family. If there's a big red glowing button with a sign which reads in bright letters DO NOT PUSH, you can be sure I push. So to nobody's surprise, I got in trouble before I'd completely unpacked my suitcase. With a few friends, I played a trick on a new kid on ORCA. She didn't take it so well and somehow I ended up in the middle of the ocean in a boat. I had no idea where I was or how to get back and there was a storm coming. Luckily, I got on an island. Thirsty, hungry and really, really stupid, I grabbed the first thing I found: some angry red berries. I fell asleep and the next thing I knew, a strange girl made me drink a weird tasting potion. And this is how I met Neri. She saved my life back then, for the first but not the last time. And suddenly, one adventure came after the other. We were running and infiltrating institutions, searching for alien technology and Neri's sister Mera, saving the world a few times, saving each other's necks a few more and everything while trying to keep a low profile at the same time because no one could ever find out about the girls. The last eight years have been quite a ride and I loved it."

Brett smiled and seemed lost in thought for a second. "I don't really know what to say here", he went on. "To tell you about every single mission would take a lot of time and you already know about the big stuff. So I guess, what you need to know is that even as a kid I knew how important it was to help Neri. Maybe I didn't always get the big picture and in retro-perspective, looking back – man, we were really lucky to get out of these situations the way we did! But I'd do it all over again."

"Dr Maya Grey, political science, Oxford University", elder women introduced herself when Brett didn't speak on. "You said, Neri … sorry, the Royal Highness,... I'm not sure about the protocol here."

"Just Neri", Neri said loudly with a friendly smile and Dr Grey nodded, smiling back before turning back to Brett.

"You said, Neri saved your life a few times", Dr Grey said. "You must have been in quite some dangerous situations. Were you never scared? Did you never have any doubts that it was too much for a bunch of kids to handle? As a mother, I would have never let my children getting involved in such matters."

"We kept it from Mom a lot", Brett replied. "Sure, she figured something was going on but we always kept the grown-ups in the dark as long as we could for the very same reason you just gave. They would have tried to stop us but we couldn't let that happen. We _had_ to do it, you know? Also, I always trusted Jason and Neri to get me out and they did. They would never let anything happen to us younger kids in the group. Actually, they wouldn't have to save me if I had just followed Jason orders. But I … I'm not really good dealing with authority and more than once I thought I knew better and went off to play the hero. So, my bad. Also, there was nothing the grown-ups could have done to help us. We couldn't tell the authorities and we had to keep the girls a secret, so we had to keep the circle as small as possible. There was simply no way to involve Mom or anyone else. We had to do it ourselves and I think, it was actually one of the reasons we succeeded in the end. We were underestimated and got away with a lot. Most people, we dealt with weren't really bad. Just curious and ambitious maybe. They wouldn't hurt us. So I was never really scared – not until we met Malakat. Despite the several opinions in this room -" he shot a quick look at the councillors - "the man's pure evil. Calculating, power-hungry, ruthless until the point where he went over corpses to achieve his goals. He always seemed one step ahead of us. It came to no surprise when we found out he had been responsible for the alleged death of Shalamorn and the creation of the Red Virus."

"Sara Price, University of Adelaide", another woman in the audience said and rose from her chair. "I still don't understand how these two are connected. Why couldn't Malakat just take over? As I understand he was already in a position of power. Why the Red Virus?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Brett responded. "Malakat was limited by the laws of their society. The only way he could rise above even further was by establishing a new world order, something he certainly could never pull off on the Oceanplanet. He needed a new world, a new planet."

"Nothing less but world domination," Dr Svenson nodded. "But why did he poison Earth as well? Was there some kind of blackmailing plan to get Earths population to bend? Let them take over in exchange for the cure?"

"Malakat didn't release the Red Virus on Earth. That was his accomplice, Shersheba", Brett explained after giving Jason a short side glance. "Also, he didn't have a cure at this time. His plan was to get access to the sunken pyramid, a very powerful computer. He promised Shersheba to create a cure with it – no, wait! Shersheba didn't know at the time that he had created the virus."

Many heads were turned in the audience as the scientists exchanged puzzled looks. Brett looked over to Jason.

"Sorry", Brett said quickly, "I guess, my brother can explain it better. He was more involved in all this. Jase?"

Halfway through the last sentence, Jason had already taken a few steps towards Brett. "Thank you so far, Brett", he said when he approached him and taking the stage. "I am Jason Bates and I serve as an adviser for Queen Shalamorn and her daughters. As to continue my brother's report, Malakat never intended to create a cure in the first place. His goal was to get control over the pyramid, to drown Earth's population and to take over. The remaining humans should serve as slaves. Shersheba was never in this quest for power but for finding a way to help her people. Malakat had convinced her that gaining power over the pyramid and dominate Earth was the only way for the Ocean People to survive. The fact that Malakat was responsible for the Red Virus came as a shock to her. She told us he bragged about it and that he had been confident that with the power of the pyramid he would be able to create a cure. But finding it too soon would make Earth's domination obsolete. Shersheba finally released the virus on Earth to force Malakat to develop a countermeasure as he had promised."

"Dr Kyra Skatski, University of Prague. I thought the cure was based on antibodies found in a whale's blood?"

Jason nodded. "Yes, it was. Malakat wasn't able to create a cure because the virus mutated too fast. He had lost control."

"You keep emphasizing Malakat's role in the events", Svenson said, "but you also seem almost protective about this Shersheba although her crimes are just as severe."

"Shersheba switched sides", Jason replied. "You have to understand that Malakat raised and brainwashed her, used her and her authority. In the matriarchal society, Shersheba was the leader, the one in charge and Malakat lead her on while taking over step by step. She didn't see it coming and when she finally saw truth it was almost too late. She committed crimes under his influence and she paid a high price for that. She will stand trial just as Malakat. But Shersheba was also the one who turned thing around in the end. She saved a lot of lives, Neri's and mine included. She took the cure and brought it to the Ocean Planet, away from Malakat's grasp. She forced her way into Malakat's secret chambers, freed Queen Shalamorn from her prison and gave her the cure."

"Righting a wrong doesn't make her innocent."

"Of course not but we owe her to take that into consideration at the trial."

"Could you please explain what trial you're exactly talking about?" Dr Skatski asked.

Jason nodded and took a deep breath before speaking on.


	58. Chapter 58

"Woah", Brett sighed as he threw himself on the coach in the big hotel suite. "What a day! I thought we would start lightly. Instead, it felt like being interrogated."

"You insisted", Jason replied. "I told you, it's not as easy as it looks."

"Yeah, it's really heavy. Like every word can change things for the better or the worse. I take it all back. You can keep the responsibility for yourself."

Neri and Jason exchanged a quick grin.

"You did very well, Brett", Shalamorn said as she entered the room and Brett got quickly on his feet, obviously surprised by her presence since she had been staying back to talk to the councillors.

"Thank you, Your Majesty", Brett replied. "But I feel I could have done better if I had been better prepared."

"Quite the opposite: you are a very honest person who wears your heart on your sleeve", Shalamorn said and Brett blushed. "I think many of them think of politicians as manipulators and unfortunately, I might have given them the same impression. But you were sincere with your words and your illuminating of the events through the eyes of a child certainly had a lasting impact. You made it very clear that you never feared us but even as a youngster understood the necessity to help us."

"Thank you", Brett murmured.

Shalamorn gave him a smile. "I can never emphasize enough how grateful I am for you. All of you and for everything you do for us no matter how much you endanger yourself along the way", she said while looking at Jason.

Diane crossed her arms and Shalamorn nodded. "I wish it was different as well, my dear."

Diane grimaced. "Don't even get me started. But I don't have much to say in these matters anymore. I'm just glad this day ended well for the most part. By the way, I think De Souza was unwillingly impressed by your performance."

"Yeah", Jason added, "you did the right thing today."

"Thank you. Hearing that from you, Jason, is the greatest compliment I could ever hope for."

Neri touched his hand. Brett grinned and rolled his eyes at the gesture.

"She so wants to jump your bones right now," he whispered so close to Jason's ear no one else could hear him. Jason so wanted to kill him right there.

"We should water up", Mera said and took Neri's hand. "We see you soon for dinner."

"Well", Brett drawled as only Diane, Jason and he remained. The tension between Jason and his mother was still tangible. "I also should take a shower."

Jason crossed his arms, now faced with Diane alone and somehow feeling this was intended.

"I'll freshen up, too", Jason finally said into the uncomfortable silence but before he could leave the room, Diane put a hand on his arm.

"Jason, I understand that you are still angry with me for what I said to Neri and that I left you", Diane started. "I don't expect you to forgive me anytime soon and believe me, I don't let myself go off this matter lightly."

"Fine", Jason replied harsher than he had intended. "Are we done?"

"No", Diane said, her tone suddenly just as hard. "I will not ask for your forgiveness any more but did it ever occur to you that you might ask for mine? That I – for any reason – could be angry with you, too?"

Jason blinked. "Ok", he said then. "Hit me."

"You never told me all those details you told the scientists today. I really had to pull myself together hearing what you have done all on your own. It seems you put your lives at stake on several occasions but I was never told once! You blame me for not understanding how you feel or your engagement with Neri at that young age or why you're putting yourself in harm's way every day you are so deeply involved with the Oceanpeople. But that's because I never got the chance." Diane took him by the shoulders, her tone now softer. "You left me out of the loop, Jason. I get it now. I get that there was never a point of turning back. Not once. But you left me out of the loop. And I am very angry at you for not trusting me. Did you really think I would have held you back? When was I ever to able to keep you from doing what you thought you had to do?"

"Brett made the reasons very clear today, didn't he?"

"A stubborn assumption of a child. Do you have any idea of how often I spoke with Winston about what we would risk for Neri? I always thought of Neri and Mera as part of the family. Neither Winston nor I would have had any concerns breaking laws or get in trouble with the authorities as long as you are _all_ safe. And we'd _never_ tell." Diane shuddered. "Can you imagine something happened to you and we would never know? Not even where you went? Lying somewhere injured or dead, on the other side of the globe or deep down at the bottom of the ocean and we would never even know where to start looking. Now you tell me again you`re angry at me for snapping!"

Stricken by the horrible picture, Jason folded. "I`m sorry, Mum", he said quietly. "You`re right. We should have trusted you more, tell you about our whereabouts more often. It rarely occurred to me what would have happened if we had failed at some point. Or worse."

"We would have come for you. Any of us involved."

Jason took a step forward and pulled his mother into a tight hug. Diane's eyes were shiny when he pulled back.

"Engaged?" he wondered then.

"Are you not?" Diane asked confused.

Jason shrugged. "It is definitely a forever thing but labelling us with words in the English language always seemed … off. Too much. Too _less_. Nothing felt like the way I feel about her."

Diane smiled. "Well, there was never anything ordinary about Neri or the both of you." She hesitated a moment before speaking on. "You … you take precautions, do you?"

Jason moaned. "I`m not discussing that part of our relationship with you, Mum!"

Diane held up her hands in a defensive gesture. "I'm just saying."

"There was never anyone else for the both of us and we are different species."

"Well, I had more than one conversation with Shalamorn about the physical part … not just because of you", she added quickly. "I'm a biologist, remember? It's fascinating that even though our DNA structures are so different, the biological processes still work similarly on many levels."

"Yeah, I guess there will be new branches in biophysical sciences in the upcoming years."

"It will keep me busy and get me over the fact, that you won`t make me a grandmother", Diane smirked. She froze when Jason frowned. "Honey?" she asked carefully and touched his arm. "Is that an issue? Sorry, I didn't …"

"No, Mum. It`s okay", he replied quickly. "I never gave that much thought hence our differing origin. And even if we could, we are way too early in our relationship and way too young."

Diane looked relieved but not ready to let this go. "But if are ready at some point", she emphasized, "the Oceanpeople have technology beyond our imagination. Maybe there is a way for you …"

"We kind of have other problems right now", he cut her off. "Just, you know, the end of the world. Stuff like that."

His mother grinned. "Yes, just the usual."


End file.
